The Longest Night
by HolyOrdersOtaku
Summary: Ruby is unsure of what she has just seen. Torn between believing it to be a hellish nightmare, or a vision of what has yet to pass, her trials in the months to come have only just begun. Rated M for graphic content and some language.
1. Prologue: The Day the World Went Away

Prologue: The Day the World Went Away

Night was about to take control over Vale as the sun set in the west, but darkness had long since reigned throughout the prior day. Black clouds had covered the sky from dawn until dusk as the battle waged endlessly. It seemed eternal in Ruby's eyes, at the very least. Every second, which would go by in the blink of an eye, felt as though it would last for all of eternity. That eternity that would repeat itself every instant was like a moment in Dante's hell, and with every chance at salvation came the crushing sound of damnation as the walls of hope slowly crumbled around them, seemingly damning them to that violent Seventh.

The battlefield lay around her, desolate and barren; if one could even still call it a battlefield after the events of the day. There seemed a more suitable word in her mind; graveyard. There wasn't a living soul in sight, or at least none that she could tell were living. Anyone still alive in this mess must have been like her; beaten, broken, and dying. The battle was a massacre. Breathing was difficult due to several shattered ribs, walking wasn't an option due to the massive hole that was bitten into her leg, and there wasn't much left of her left hand that would tell you that it used to be a hand. Her left hand; her _strong_ hand. Even if she survived, she wouldn't be of any real use anymore. She'd be a cripple, so she just lay there leaning against the cold stone of a boulder that rested in the midst of Horrida Campi; Grim Valley.

How did she even get here? Why did this even happen? It felt like just yesterday that she was a student at Beacon, learning how to become a huntress so that she could help people. A laughable concept to her now if she was still capable of laughing. If today was of any indication, there wouldn't be anyone left to help when it was all said and done. Now there would be nothing. No more studying, no more helping, and no more hanging out with friends. _My friends_, she thought weakly. She felt solely responsible for their fates. Guilt made what bones that weren't broken ache with agony. All this torment and hell was because of the abnormal growth rate that sprung up in Grimm right after the black comet appeared; Harbinger. This war was the definition of hell, taking up the better part of the last year; she couldn't even celebrate her birthday six months ago.

Ruby struggled to breathe in as she rolled her eyes to look at her right arm. Wrapped around her right bicep was the only thing left of her older sister; an orange scarf. During a previous scouting mission, conditions changed for the worse and team RWBY was ambushed unexpectedly by a horde of Grimm. In their attempt to escape, Ruby's arm was injured by a lone Beowolf. When they found a safe hideaway, Yang removed her scarf and used it as a makeshift bandage to patch her little sister up. _"This isn't so bad,"_ she had said with a smile. _"It'll heal up in no time. You're a tough cookie, sis. It'll take more than this to put you down."_ If only the same could be said for her older sister.

Yang was the _strong_ one, the sister that could take anything in stride and ask for a second helping without batting an eye. But the Grimm caught up, and they brought Hell with them. There was no escaping without all of them becoming a list of casualties. Yang, without explaining her plan to the others, stopped running and forced them to keep going. The other three reluctantly continued on. When they came back with a larger force, there was very little of Yang's body they could recover. She was team RWBY's _first_ casualty.

Weiss was the second to fall. The mission was to recover as much usable dust as possible from an abandoned Schnee mining facility. It was abandoned weeks prior when the Grimm overran it, killing most of the workers. Team RWBY was selected because of Weiss's knowledge of the facility. The dust wasn't salvageable, as they discovered that a large horde of Beowolves had made the mine their den. All was silent for most of the mission until they heard the first howl. Then came a second. A third. A tenth. A twentieth. A hundredth. It seemed to keep growing. As team RWBY ran to evacuate on a Bullhead, they soon realized that the Beowolves would overcome them before they made it. Weiss, like Yang, stayed behind to allow the rest of her team to escape. There were containers of dust all around, and Weiss only needed one clean shot with Myrtenaster's dust. As Ruby and Blake flew away in the Bullhead, the mining facility exploded in a show of fantastical colors and flames; Weiss and every Grimm present were incinerated, and the already deep chasm sank further into the earth.

And then there's Blake, the most recent casualty to team RWBY. She didn't die in an act of heroic strength like Yang or Weiss. She didn't give her life to protect those she cared about. She died today, on the battlefield, and she died a needless death. Her concentration was broken for a split second to make sure that Ruby was safe. Ruby had taken a Beowolf's claw to the leg and stumbled, forcing Blake to stop her engagement to help her, and in that moment a Nevermore pierced her heart with one of its feathers. Of all of her friend's deaths, she felt the most responsible for Blake's. Had she been taking better care of herself, Blake wouldn't have needed to check on her in the middle of a battle. It seemed fitting to Ruby, however, to hold off on mourning and to focus on the battle at hand. She was the leader of a dead team, and she would do her fallen comrades justice or die trying. As the saying goes, the captain must go down with the ship.

But Ruby now realized that her ship had sunk deep to the bottom of the abyss long ago, resting in a haunted fashion in the great below. Before Weiss, Blake, or Yang died, her ship sank the day they were graduated early to prepare the onslaught of Grimm. The day alliances were formed that made the world of Remnant rejoice in harmony was they day Remnant died. Humans, faunus, huntsmen, huntresses, criminal masterminds, school teachers, soldiers, and commoners were all fighting a losing war. She wished she could believe that they ever stood a chance. She wanted to believe that she could help everyone and save the day. Yet here she was; lying in the mud, surrounded by the bodies of all of her old friends and enemies turned friends. Beaten, broken, and dying.

She heard what sounded like footsteps. She slowly turned her head in the direction of the disturbance, and saw a man wearing a worn, war torn white coat. He used to have a black hat, but he lost it weeks ago during another battle, so his bright red hair waved gently in the wind. His left eye was covered by a cheap eye patch, and his trousers had tears in them, most likely placed there by angry Beowolves. His remaining green eye scanned the battlefield until it fell on Ruby's mangled body. "Red!" he exclaimed. He came rushing over to her. Upon getting closer, Ruby saw that his left sleeve was torn and he had gashes all over his arm. His head was also bleeding, but only slightly, and most of the blood was caked and dried.

Ruby smiled lightly. "Hey, Roman. What's up?" Even in the face of death, she tried to be light hearted. A laugh attempted to escape from her lips, but she only coughed blood.

Roman shook his head. "No time for jokes, Red. How bad are you hurt?"

"Bad," she replied. "I won't be around much longer."

"Now, we can't have you talking like that. I'll get you patched up and then we can..."

"Roman," she interrupted, coughing even more blood in the process. "Look at me. I'm broken. My hand is useless, my ribs are shattered, and my leg's been nicked. Do you see where?" He nodded. "That's an artery. It's small enough for the process to be slow, but still beyond repair at this point. Maybe thirty minutes ago you could have saved me. But it's too late now."

"Well, what do you want me to do? I can't just leave you here!"

She smiled. "You would have before."

He returned the smile, though it wasn't happy. It pained him to smile at her right now. "I...I guess you're right. I would have. But not now."

"Then," she continued, closing her eyes slowly. "Keep me company for a while. The Grimm have moved on, after all." She breathed in roughly and coughed another glob of blood.

Roman nodded and sat down next to her. Ruby Rose, now only sixteen, and formerly his enemy, was bleeding to death in front of him. How he pitied her, and wanted to save her, and how he hated himself for once fighting against her himself. "Part of me is glad that all of this happened," he said. "With the Grimm outnumbering humanity, we had to unite under the same banner of survival. I had to fight to survive, but not just for my own survival, but for the people around me too." He looked around. "I hated the faunus, but here I had to fight side by side with them. I've come to trust many of them, and became friends with just as many. I...I even had to bury a few of them." He sounded sad towards the end of the statement.

Ruby smiled, blood staining her once white teeth. "You know," she said with a pause. "I used to hate you. You were lower than scum to me. You tried to hurt me and my friends. You even admitted to plotting to destroy Beacon. But now? I'm glad we had to work together."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Because you once tried to hurt me, but now you're sitting beside me as I die, trying to comfort me. It proves that even jerks like you have a sweet side. And if it wasn't for the night that I met you, I wouldn't have made all the friends I did at Beacon."

"So, you do care about me, don't you, Red?" he tried to tease, but she could hear the tears in his voice.

"My...name..." she struggled. "Isn't Red." While her eyes were already closed, her eyelids felt heavier than before. "So...tired." Before Roman could respond, her body went limp. He turned towards her and grabbed her right hand, feeling for her pulse. It was gone.

Roman nodded. "Yeah. You're right. I'm sorry," he paused. Leaning forward, he placed a gentle, loving kiss upon her forehead. "Sleep well, Ruby. Rest easy."

* * *

Ruby jolted awake in her bed. She could feel hot tears running down her face. Her immediate reflex was to look at her left hand. It wasn't shredded, torn to bits, or missing; it was whole and strong, just as it should be. Then she felt the pressure of eyes watching her. She turned to see _them_. Her _team_ was staring at her, all sharing looks of concern. They were all wearing their night apparel, and were poised as though they were just about to go to sleep and bring the day to an end. Ruby's tears came stronger now as she felt a sense of relief wash over her. "G-girls?" she asked.

"Ruby, are you okay? What's wrong?" Yang asked, her older sister instincts kicking in. Instead of answering, Ruby leapt from her bunk and embraced her sister in a tight, locking hug as she began to sob. Yang returned the hug, but was still concerned for her younger sister. "Sis, what's wrong? Tell me?"

Ruby still didn't respond. She jolted away from her sister and spun until she was looking Weiss in the eyes. "Weiss? Is that really you?"

Weiss nodded. "O-of course, you dunce. Who else would I be?" she answered softly. Ruby once again gave no warning as she hugged Weiss, still sobbing.

Once more, Ruby pulled away and locked eyes with Blake. "B-Blake!" she gasped as she pounced on the cat faunus.

Blake, trying to emulate Yang, returned the hug, hushing Ruby gently. "It's alright, Ruby. We're still here. We're not going anywhere."

"I...I thought...I..." Ruby tried to form her thoughts into words, but she was far too emotional, becoming borderline hysterical.

"Calm down," Yang said as she gently caressed Ruby's back. "Take deep breaths Ruby and take your time. We'll listen."

She nodded as she inhaled deeply, letting Blake sit her down on Weiss's bed. Slowly she regained most of her composure and the tears slowed, but didn't completely stop. Finally she began to speak. "I...I had a horrible dream."

"We figured as much," Weiss said. "Do you remember it?"

Yang shook her head. "I doubt she remembers it all. Dreams are slippery, after all. Easily forgotten."

Ruby nodded, but as she stared at the floor in concentration, her eyes went wide. "I...I remember all of it, though. Every little detail is burned into my mind, Yang."

"R-really? How bad was it?"

"It...it's difficult to explain. It was almost like a sequence of memories. We graduated from Beacon early. There was this weird black comet, and Grimm started to spread like wildfire. Humans and faunus finally put aside their differences and they worked together to fight the Grimm off."

"That actually doesn't sound too bad," Yang commented. "I mean, Grimm _are_ pretty bad, but if it made humans and faunus work together in harmony then is it really a bad thing?"

Ruby met Yang's gaze. "Roman Torchwick was _helping_ us fight them off too."

"That _does_ sound bad," Blake added.

"Ruby, your reaction to seeing us...what happened?" Weiss asked, ignoring Blake and Yang.

Ruby began to tear up again. "You...you all died. Yang died protecting the three of us, Weiss died to help me and Blake escape, and Blake..." she paused and turned to face the cat faunus. "I'm so sorry, Blake." Ruby began to cry again.

"Hey, whatever it was didn't actually happen. I'm fine, see?" Blake said, comforting her.

Yang sat down next to Ruby and hugged her tightly. "Well, sis, I can assure you that none of that will ever happen. We'll be fine, and we won't have to fight a losing war against an army of Grimm. We'll always be by your side." The other two agreed and joined in for a group hug.

In spite of the comfort she was receiving, a part of her was still afraid. You're supposed to forget most dreams, aren't you? _Then why do I remember every little detail as though I actually lived through it all?_ she asked herself silently. Her eye's glanced out of the window. The moon was fragmenting, and the sky was devoid of cloud cover. The night was filled with countless bright lights, each of them a burning star full of life and energy. Yet her heart felt a dread, as though she expected the light to be blotted out by that black comet.

By that Harbinger.

* * *

_Song: The Day the World Went Away - Nine Inch Nails_

**Author's Note  
**

So, this is a turn from what I usually write. In _every_ possible sense. I don't usually like Dark fanfics, but this idea had been in my head and I just couldn't resist it any longer. This story will get darker, so be careful: we're going deeper!

Till Next Time!

**_January 6, 2016 /REVISED/  
_**

I, HolyOrderOtaku, would like to present you with _**The Longest Night/ REVISITED**_. I loved writing this story, and to this day, nearly two years after starting this _**Shifting Remnant**_ project of mine, _this_ is the fan fiction I enjoyed writing the most. I tried so many new things that I'd never done before, and I was _surprised_ to find that they _worked_! You, the Readers, liked it. You liked it a lot, and that still amazes me. But, my biggest problem was that I am lazy, and there are a lot of things _wrong_ with this rather sizable **book** of a fan fiction. So, nearly two years later, I'm going back and I'm actually going to _edit _ and _revise_ the story. Clean it up. Make it look presentable. Give it the same treatment that my original books get.

So, as often as I can, I'm going to update and re-upload the chapters to _The Longest Night_, and every chapter that has the _**/REVISED/**_ mark means that its been updated.

Fear not, I am still writing my other fics. _Observer_ should get its next chapter _soonish_. Never was good at juggling projects, as you guys probably know by now. I also work 40+ hours a week now, making it hard to find time to write and edit.

Still, its about damn time I did this. Till next time! :D


	2. Chapter 1: Serpentine

Chapter 1: Serpentine

_It was just a dream_, she kept telling herself. _You'll forget about soon_. It didn't help that every little detail of the dream stayed with her all day. It was the middle of the week, so she had to go to class. Before lunch, however, she excused herself from class and took the rest of the day off. She felt she couldn't cope with classes with the dream still vivid and solid in her mind. She continued to tell herself over and over that it wasn't real, but for a dream like that to feel so tangible was unsettling to her.

She changed out of her uniform and into her casual attire before leaving the dorm again. Now she decided to take a stroll around campus, hoping that the spring air would calm her nerves and sooth her mind. But everywhere she looked images of fire, smoke, and blood took control. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, but to no avail. She heard the clock chime at noon; lunch. She decided it would be better to join her friends for lunch, so she made her way to the cafeteria. She grabbed a tray, placed a chicken sandwich and a pile of cookies on it, and found her way to the table that teams RWBY and JNPR usually sat at.

"Hey guys," she greeted, accidentally allowing a monotone voice to escape.

"Hey, sis," Yang replied with a look of worry. "Still don't feel any better?" Ruby shook her head, and Yang sighed. "Is there any way we can help you?"

"I don't know. I think I just need a little more time to put my mind on something else."

Jaune, sitting across from Ruby, shot a confused glance to Pyrrha. She returned the look and shrugged. Jaune turned to face Ruby. "Um, might I ask what's troubling you?"

Ruby looked away from him, not wanted to purposely mention what she saw in her dream. Yang took the hint and answered for her. "She had a really, _really_ bad nightmare last night that she's trying to forget about."

"Oh. How bad?"

"You don't want to know," Weiss chimed in.

"That bad, huh?" He stroked his chin in thought. "Hey, I know! Do some sort of hobby to take your mind off of it. You like working with weapons, right?"

"Y-yeah, I suppose I do," Ruby answered. She took a small nibble out of one of her cookies.

"When was the last time you cleaned Crescent Rose?"

"Yesterday with a polishing cloth, why?"

Jaune laughed. "No, not polished. _Cleaned._ Every little joint, edge, and screw might get a little rusty if you don't disassemble it every so often and give a thorough cleaning and oiling. Am I right?"

Ruby slowly brightened up. "You're right! I haven't done that in months!" She started to rush through her food to run off to do just that, but Yang made her slow down.

"Don't run off just yet, little sis. Enjoy our company for a little while. We won't see you until after classes are finished, after all," she said. Ruby nodded, and began to enjoy her lunch. She had something to look forward to, and while the dream was still on her mind, it wasn't as important now.

A couple of hours later, Ruby was in one of the empty workshops working on Crescent Rose. Only the light above her station was on as she worked flawlessly. All of the parts and pieces are organized neatly on a large table, and little plastic cups with markings like "S-1" and so on were filled with all of the screws and bolts that held the intimidating weapon together. She was almost enjoying herself, but the dream kept coming back to her thoughts.

Suddenly, the lights came on throughout the room, startling Ruby. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I didn't know someone was in here," came a voice that she recognized instantly. She turned to see Professor Ozpin entering the room carrying a wooden box. "Terribly sorry, Ms. Rose. I suppose I should've knocked."

"It's alright, professor. It's my fault for leaving the lights off," she answered. "What are you doing here?"

"A little hobby of mine," he said, holding of the wooden box. He strolled over to the table next to Ruby's and placed the box upon it before opening it to retrieve an old clock. "I collect them. If they don't work, I fix them." He looked over to Ruby's table. "Impressive craftsmanship, if I may be so bold. Not many can build such a monstrous weapon." He retrieved a small screwdriver and started to disassemble the clock.

Ruby blushed a little at the compliment. "Well, it's all uncle Qrow's doing, really. I originally tried using weapons like Yang's, but I just don't have the talent for it." She glanced over at Ozpin's clock. "Why work on that here in the student workshops?"

"Every so often when I come down here there will be a student or two working on their weapons. I like to make conversation when I work. It adds to the ambient atmosphere." He flashed her a smile. "It seems to me that you may be in need of a conversation partner yourself."

"W-what makes you think that?"

"Well," he looked at his watch. "Classes are still in session for another hour and a half, yet here you are _not_ in uniform, and working on your weapon in private. You're not a delinquent, Ms. Rose, so I know for a fact that you aren't skipping class for no good reason. Cleaning your weapon is something you can do in your free time, yet you're doing it now. Something on your mind, Ms. Rose?"

She shook her head quickly. "No, not really." Ozpin raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Well...I guess there is something," she finally admitted, feeling dejected.

"I see. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I...I don't, really. But I can't stop thinking about it. Do you think it'll help if I do talk about it?"

"Hm." He adjusted his glasses. "That depends. People cope with their thoughts differently, Ruby. Some people like to bottle them up and deal with them on their own terms. Some of those people are good at it, too. Others need to divulge their thoughts and feelings to someone else. Be that a friend, a relative...an instructor that they trust." He looked Ruby in the eyes. "It's all based on the kind of person you are. Are you the kind who can keep your thoughts a secret and deal with them on your own, or do you need help?"

"I...I don't know how anyone _can_ help, professor. But I do want help."

He smiled. "If you don't want to talk about now, that's okay. But remember, Ms. Rose, I am always available if you need to talk." He went back to work on hic clock, and Ruby followed his example and started to reassemble Crescent Rose.

Ruby sighed. "I had a dream last night, Professor. A bad one."

"Oh?" he asked, curiosity peaked.

Ruby nodded. "It didn't feel like a dream though. It felt _real_. The world was practically ending. Grimm were everywhere, and people were dying. Enemies were now allies, and everyone was working together in a struggle to survive...but to no avail."

"Do you know why any of it was happening, or was the dream seemingly moving around randomly?"

"There was a comet. It wasn't natural, because it glowed black. Black like the Grimm. My friends died. My classmates died. I died." She turned to Ozpin. "You died too, professor."

"And this dream has disturbed your thoughts all day?" She nodded. "I wish I could tell you not to worry about it, Ruby. But I can't. It was just a dream, of course, but a dream so disturbing has its merits and its meanings, I'm sure. Look at this clock." He held the broken clock for her to see as he tinkered with it. "Clocks are used to keep and measure time. But time is truly immeasurable, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"How long did the dream take place?"

"I don't know what point in my sleep it started."

Ozpin shook his head. "Let me rephrase the question. How long did the dream _feel_ like it was."

"Oh," Ruby answered. "It was over a year, I think. I saw it all from start to finish."

"Yet for all we know you may have been asleep for about six or seven hours. And even then, only in REM sleep do we dream, and that doesn't occur until the end of our sleep cycle. The dream felt like a year, but it occurred in a time frame of roughly thirty minutes or so."

"I don't understand, professor."

"Time, Ruby. Time is everything. The difference in time between the dream world and the real world is vast, and seems utterly impossible if the two worlds were to actually exist simultaniously. But, as I said, you may come to understand the dream eventually. But that will take _time_, Ruby. Don't let the dream prevent you from living in the now, because now doesn't always exist. Now always eventually becomes then. And we can never get that back. Take the time to understand it, but don't waste your time either." He placed the back on the clock once again. "Because everyone has to move forward eventually." The clock began ticking. It was fixed.

Ruby nodded. She finished putting Crescent Rose back together. "Thank you professor. I think that helped a little."

Ozpin nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help, Ms. Rose. Do try to feel better about it though, won't you?"

"I'll try, sir. Thank you." She began to make her way back to her dorm. She continued to think about the dream and all of its darkness, but something stuck out in her head that she didn't think twice about earlier.

_Ruby smiled. "You know," she said with a pause. "I used to hate you. You were lower than scum to me. You tried to kill me and my friends. You even admitted to plotting to destroy Beacon. But now? I'm glad we had to work together."_

_ "... if it wasn't for the night that I met you, I wouldn't have made all the friends I did at Beacon."_

She smiled at the thought. She does hate Roman. He is still lower than scum to her, but she had never thought about what happened the night she met him. Because of that incident, she is now a student at Beacon. She looked at her watch, and an idea came to her. She pulled out her scroll and sent a message to her team.

[I'm going out for a while. I'll be back later. -R]

...

[Be careful, sis. Come back soon. -Y]

Ruby nodded, but she couldn't really make that promise. Her idea was a little reckless, but she felt the need to do it. She had someone she needed to meet. She needed to give him her gratitude.

The only problem was finding him. But that was okay. She had an idea.

Ruby stood in line, waiting to go into the club. She didn't really want to go party or anything, but there was a certain individual who owned the place that she needed to talk to. After each person in front of her was admitted, the bouncer stopped her. "Whoa, little girl. You're a little young to be coming here, don't you think?" he said.

Ruby smiled. "Oh, that's alright. I'm not here for the club. I'm here to see the owner."

"And why would I let you in to see him?"

"You won't. I'll talk to him right here. I don't mind waiting for him."

"And what makes you think I'll go get him just to talk to you?"

Ruby smirked as she unfolded Crescent Rose and slammed it into the ground. "I'm stronger than I look," she teased. The bouncer gulped and called for his boss over a radio. She always wondered what it was like to be Yang, and here she was emulating her big sister to manipulate this bouncer. Part of her felt bad, but she was also having the teensiest amount of fun out of it.

A bearded man came outside and the bouncer pointed at Ruby. "Are you causing trouble, little girl?" he asked.

"Not really," she replied. "I just wanted to ask you something."

He scoffed. "Well, I'm out here, so ask away."

"I need to contact Roman Torchwick," she said calmly. "I understand he was seen here talking to you once before. And your people worked with him as well. I know because I fought them at a dust shop."

He laughed. "Girl, do you have any idea who I am?"

"You're Junior. And you're going to give me Roman's contact information. Phone number, scroll, anything. I need to talk to him."

"And why the hell would I give you that information? He's my client, and that information is confidential."

Ruby sighed. "I could call Yang if you want."

He gave her a confused look. "Who?"

"Oh," Ruby remembered. "You never caught her real name, did you? I suppose you know her better as _Sir_, don't you?" He went pale as a sheet. _Bingo_.

"And how do you know that?"

"Oh, she didn't tell you? I'm her little sister. I could tell her that you're harassing me while I was in town, and I'm sure she'd just _love_ to have a nice, long, and _warm_ chat with you."

Junior was sweating profusely at the thought. "Fine." He pulled out a notepad and scribbled a number down. "That's Roman's number. Don't tell him where you got it, okay?"

"Agreed." She took the paper and walked away skipping. She paused. "One more thing. Do you have any cigars?"

"Why?"

"As a peace offering," she answered. Junior held his hand to the bouncer, who placed a pair of cigars in his hands. Junior tossed them to Ruby, and she caught them without breaking them. _It sucks that I can't tell sis about all this. She'd be furious, but she might be proud too. Oh well_. She made it a few blocks away before dialing the number into her scroll.

After ringing for a few seconds, someone answered the phone. "Roman Torchwick, dashingly handsome thief, how may I help you?"

Ruby stuck her tongue out. "Oh please, don't be so full of yourself."

She heard him chuckle. "Was that too much? I'm sorry, but I think that if I get a call from a number that I don't know then I have the right to answer however I damn well please. Now, who is this?"

"It's Ruby," she answered.

There was a moment of silence. "Are you the girl from the other night? I said I wasn't serious, didn't I?"

Ruby fought the urge to gag. "No. I guess you never caught my real name either, did you?" She groaned. She hated the nickname that he tagged her with. "I'm _Red_."

"Oh...Oh~! Red, is it? Well, that makes this interesting. What's the matter? Still upset that I shot at you again?"

"Sort of," she admitted. "But that's not why I called you. Just for tonight, can the two of us agree to a truce so we can talk?"

Roman laughed. "And just why would we do that?"

"Because there's something I have to say to you in person, and I _don't_ want to fight."

"Oh? And why should I trust you?"

"I'll be at the docks in an hour, and I'll be alone. Is that enough to let you trust me?"

There was another moment of quiet. "I'll think about it. I take that you want me to come alone too?"

"Wouldn't be much of a truce if you didn't."

"Fine." _CLICK_. He hung up. Ruby made her way to the docks, determined to be their first to make sure he didn't plant an ambush. If Roman could be described in a single word, it would be _unfair_.

Ruby leaned against a handrail, staring at the reflection of the moon in the seawater. The ocean's breeze tugged at her cloak gently as she stared in thought. Light footsteps caught her attention, but she didn't turn to see the source. She let the next sound tell her who it was.

_CLICK_; the sound of a gun being cocked. "You really came alone, didn't you, Red?" Roman asked.

She sighed. "Hello, Roman. Nice to see you too."

"Aw, now don't be like that!" he said with a laugh. "You invited me, after all. Not to smart, if you ask me. What makes you think that I won't just kill you and be rid of you for good?"

"Nothing. But I doubt you'd succeed. We'd fight, and we'd both run away. Same as before." She turned to face him. his cane was primed and aimed at her head, but it didn't faze her. "So, can we talk like a pair of decent people or what?"

Roman frowned as he contemplated. "Ah, screw it," he said as he lowered his cane. He placed his back to the handrail and leaned against it. "Why the hell not?"

Ruby nodded. She reached into her pouch and pulled out the two cigars. "Here," she said, offering them to him. "As a sign of trust for today."

Roman smiled and he took them happily. He placed one in his mouth and was about to put the other away, but he stopped. "You know what? No. If this is a sign of trust, then you're smoking one with me." He offered the other one to her.

"What?!" Ruby asked. "I'm fifteen!"

"And I committed my first crime when I was twelve. So what?"

Ruby stared at the cigar. "My sister would kill me."

"Sounds better than me killing you, doesn't it?" He smirked. "Or should I take aim again?"

She sighed. "Fine. I give up." She relented and took the cigar back.

Roman lit both cigars and inhaled deeply. "Hm. I've had better, but this is still pretty good." Ruby inhaled once and immediately went into a coughing fit, and Roman laughed. "The first time always does that to you. You'll get used to it."

"That's awful!"

"Trust me, there's alot worse out there." He turned his gaze to her. "So, what did you want?"

Ruby stared at the cigar as she thought. "I had a dream last night."

"Whoa, I don't like where this is going already. You're a little young for me, Red."

"W-what? No! No, you sicko! It wasn't that kind of dream!" Ruby blushed.

"Alright, alright. Sorry."

She sighed. "In my dream, a black comet flew across the sky, and Grimm started to take over the world. People were dying, and there wasn't anything we could do to stop it. Groups who were once sworn enemies were fighting side by side as allies."

"Damn. That's a pretty dark dream," Roman joked. "You realize I'm not a shrink, right?"

"Shut up. I'm getting to your part." She took a deep breath to recompose herself. "You were fighting with us, Roman. Not against us like now, but _with _us. Everyone I know died in the dream. I even died. And you were there in my final moments. The dream felt real, but I know it wasn't. However, something happened that made me think."

She turned to face Roman. "I realize that I need to thank you."

Roman choked. "For what, exactly? Trying to kill you?"

"No," she shook her head. "The night we met. Do you remember it?"

"I remember your huntress friend showed up and kicked my ass. In a manner of speaking, of course."

"She wasn't my friend. I never met her before then. She's a teacher at Beacon. Because of you commiting a crime, and forcing me to try to stop you, she showed up to help me. Professor Ozpin saw my combat skills, and bumped me up two years and admitted me to Beacon. I met my friends and became the leader of a team because of _you_."

Roman whistled, emphasizing that he was legitimately impressed. "Who'd have thought that my dastardly ways would have helped someone. I must be losing my touch." He met her gaze. "A team leader, eh?"

Ruby nodded. "So, thank you."

"I wouldn't thank me if I were you," he added. "We may be 'buddy buddy' right now, but I'm just humoring you. If I see you tomorrow, or later than that, I'm likely to try to kill you again."

Ruby nodded. "Do you think it's possible for us to be friends?"

"Doubt it. But, then again, anything's possible." He laughed. "I still wouldn't count on it, though."

Ruby handed the cigar back to Roman; she barely smoked from it. "Well, I guess I'll head home. My team is probably worried about me by now." She began to walk away.

"I have one question, Red," Roman said, forcing her to stop. "Your dream...what role did I play in your death?"

Ruby giggled. "Believe it or not, you comforted me. And my name's not Red. It's Ruby."

Roman smiled. "Whatever, Red." He turned and walked in the opposite direction, puffing lightly on the cigar in his mouth.

* * *

_Song: Serpentine-Disturbed_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE  
**

Not as dark as the prologue, but we gotta build up somehow, eh? For the record, I'm _not_ shipping Roman and Ruby. They're going to have a frienemy type relationship. Also, shit's gonna get dark. Really dark. We just got to get there. Don't worry.

Not much else to say, really. Other than I've got a running theme now: I pick a song that fits what I deep the most important part of the chapter, and I listen to it/name the chapter after it. MUSIC! I think the lyrics to Serpentine actually fit _most_ of this story, but the chorus is aimed at Roman.

Till next time!


	3. Chapter 2: Sweet Dreams

Chapter 2: Sweet Dreams

Ruby woke up the next morning feeling absolutely fantastic. The dream no longer bothered her. For one, it didn't come back last night, so it was a one off nightmare from the looks of it. Today was going to be a good day it seemed. She climbed out of her bed and stretched, ready to tackle the day with vigor. "Good morning, team RWBY!" she exclaimed happily.

"Nnng," Yang replied. "Five more minutes." She was the last one to stir. Weiss and Blake were already dressed.

"Nope! We got to go to class, sis!" Yang answered back with an unintelligible mumble.

"Well," Weiss interupted. "I'm glad to see you feeling better today, because you have a lot to make up for yesterday's afternoon classes."

"Right," Ruby replied. "I'm really sorry about yesterday, guys. I hope I didn't make you worry too much."

"Nonsense, you dunce. You have nothing to apologize for, and if we're worried then it's because we're concerned for you. We're just happy that you're back to normal."

Ruby nodded. "Thanks." She gave Weiss a quick hug before breaking away. "Alright, team RWBY, let's get ready for class!"

* * *

Roman Torchwick sat at a desk in an abandoned warehouse. Junior's flunkies and members of the White Fang scurried about, organizing cases of dust, weapons, and Bullhead fuel. With his legs propped up, he leaned back in his chair as he stared thoughtfully at the partially smoked cigar in his hand. He had went on to finish smoking his last night, but the one Ruby had handed back to him was still here.

_"Thank you,"_ she had said. He smiled and even chuckled a little under his breath. It seemed ridiculous that she would thank him for being who he was. His exploits had accidentally helped her, and she felt the need to express her gratitude. "You're still just a child aren't you, Red?"

Sooner or later she'd have to grow up and face the real world. Roman grew up at a much younger age than most. He began thieving to survive when he was just a child himself, and soon after he had enough money and food to live, he realized that it wasn't enough. He wanted more. Always he was after more. For every lien he stole, he wanted five more to go with it. He became so good at stealing that he started taking commissions to steal for others. That's how he had met Cinder. She needed enough dust to start her war, and so she hired Roman. Roman hated it, but he wouldn't let the saying be true; no honor amongst thieves. He may be the lowest of the low, but he took his contracts very seriously, almost as if they were sacred vows. To break a contract was akin to selling one's soul to him.

He still hated working for Cinder. She paid well enough, of course, but she expected him to take part in her war. She almost had him convinced, too. But after last night, he wasn't so sure. In spite of all his threats to kill her, he had no true qualm with Ruby. She just happened to get in the way of his work.

_"Do you think it's possible for us to be friends?"_ she had asked. Why would she ask that? Was it because of her dream? Was it really that traumatic? He chuckled again.

As he sat silently ignoring the work around him, the lights flickered. He glanced up at the flourescent lights above him and watched as the once strong light now danced back and forth between on and off. "What the hell? Hey, what's wrong with the lights?" he asked loudly. No answer. Only now did he notice that the whole warehouse had gone silent. "Hey!" He exclaimed, standing to turn around and glare at the workers. They were staring at one of the skylights. "What the fuck are you idiots doing? We have a schedule to keep! Chop-chop!"

They continued to stare up. Roman growled. "What the hell are you morons staring at?" He walked over and looked up. What he saw made his heart sink. "You're joking," he whispered.

* * *

Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang were sitting under a tree in the courtyard, having decided to take their lunch outside for the day. "I'm glad you've put it behind you, Ruby. It's not good to think about nightmares like that," Yang said as she bit into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Well, it's going to be hard for her to forget about it if you keep bringing it up, you idiot!" Weiss yelled.

"No, it's fine, Weiss. I ran into Ozpin yesterday and talked to him about it. I felt better after that, so it's all good," Ruby explained, eating a handful of cookies.

Blake nodded silently, choosing to read her book blissfully. She was finding it harder and harder to read the words due to a shadow making her light disappear. She had night vision, but it still caused a strain on the eyes. She sighed and closed her book to join the conversation, but paused. She thought the shadow was just the tree she was leaning against, but everything around her seemed darker. Her friends were busy talking and appeared to not notice the change. "Girls?" she asked.

"What is it, Blake?" Ruby answered.

"Is it supposed to rain today? It got really dark."

The other three looked around. "Huh. It was supposed to be sunny," Yang said. "Guess weathermen are all liars."

Weiss poked her head out from under the tree. "But there isn't a cloud in the sky. Why is it so dark?"

"Ms. Rose!" They heard Ozpin call to Ruby from across the courtyard. "I believe you and I have something important to discuss."

The four girls stood and ran over to Ozpin. "What's up?" Yang asked.

"See for yourself, Ms. Xiao Long." He gestured to the sky with his chin."

The four girls followed his directed and looked up. Ruby's eyes went wide as she gazed upon an object straight out of her nightmare. "N-no. No! It was just a dream! It was just a dream!" She screamed in terror, tears coming in full force. In sky, moving slow and gentle as a docile cloud, was a comet that radiated with darkness as though it was glowing, casting its shadow on the world below. The howls of Beowolves could be heard from the Emerald Forest.

"Time, Ruby," Ozpin said, breaking her trance. "I do believe time is something we sorely lack."

* * *

An hour had passed. Ozpin ordered all students that en emergency was in effect, and that they were to equip their weapons and remain indoors until further notice. Ruby explained as much of the dream that she could to Ozpin, who sat in his office chair quietly listening.

When she finally finished, Ozpin and the others present, including Glynda Goodwitch, sat in silence as they contemplated what they should do. "Um, sir?" Yang spoke up, breaking the silence. "Has anything like this ever happened before?"

Ozpin shook his head. "Not in recorded history. I suppose there is the odd chance that it may have happened in prehistoric times, but that doesn't help us at the moment. It's more likely to be a rogue comet that just so happens to be passing through our system."

"Why does it _glow_ like that? It's so dark, yet its bright."

"It may be some form of aura," Glynda suggested. "Something that gives Grimm strength."

"And if Ruby's dream is true, then the population will begin spiking soon," Ozpin added. "More Grimm, more powerful than ever...if what you saw is true, Ruby, then we have little hope for survival."

"We can't think like that!" Weiss exclaimed. "What if it can be changed? You ever think about that? Maybe she had that dream to help keep it from happening!"

"There's no preventing a celestial body from passing by, I'm afraid. The comet has come and there's not much we can do but wait for it to pass. From there, I suppose we have to prepare for the incoming wave of Grimm that's sure to follow." He turned to Ruby. "Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long." The four girls immediately stood straighter, realizing that they were about to be tasked with a duty. "I, Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon, hereby grant you the title of Huntress, with all the rights and privileges that go with it. If what Ruby saw truly is about to come to pass, then we're going to need to prepare. Glynda, gather the rest of the students in the auditorium."

"Are we to dismiss them, sir?" she asked.

"No. A war has just begun. I'm afraid we're going to have to blood our troops a little early. We're also going to need to call in some old friends."

Ruby's scroll started ringing, breaking everyone's concentration. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Professor!"

"Don't be. Answer it. I'm sure it's important."

"Right," she said as she produced the scroll and hit answer without looking at the number. "Hello?"

"You have my attention, Red. What happens next?" came the voice of Roman Torchwick.

She was shocked, and didn't expect to ever get a call from Roman. "One moment," she said. "Sir, is it alright if we let someone onto Beacon's campus?"

"I don't see why not," he answered. "Why?"

"Because he's one of the most wanted criminals in Vale."

Ozpin smiled. "I see. Tell him to bring his friend with him. I'm sure he'll know who I'm talking about."

Ruby nodded and relayed the message. "Come to Beacon. We'll talk here. And bring you _friend_ with you...whoever that is."

Roman cursed. "You seriously want me to bring _her_ with me?"

"Professor Ozpin said so."

"Fine! I'll bring that crazy bitch with me. But don't blame me if Beacon becomes its namesake in a blaze." _CLICK_. He hung up again.

"Uh, sis? _Who_ was that?" Yang asked.

Ruby sighed. "You'll see soon, I suppose."

"Now, shall we go to the auditorium?" Ozpin asked.

"I've sent a student wide message to everyone present to assemble, sir," Glynda chimed.

"Good. Let's go. Team RWBY, you'll be on stage with me. Since you were promoted first, you have seniority amongst the students."

The six of them made their way to the auditorium, where all of team RWBY's classmates, friends, and upperclassmen were now standing nervously. A microphone stand was already placed on the stage for Ozpin to speak into. He stepped to the microphone and cleared his throat, silencing the crowd. "I, Professor Ozpin, hereby declare Beacon Academy to be in a state of emergency. You all came here to train to be warriors, monster slayers, and heroes. You came here to protect the weak from Grimm, and to keep the balance that humanity has spent hundreds of years trying to perfect. That balance has tilted. The black comet in the sky is no ordinary stellar occurrence. It emanates with an aura that strengthens Grimm, granting them the power to dominate humanity once more. You were being trained to prevent such dominance."

"How come we've never heard of this comet before?" yelled a voice from the crowd.

"It has never happened in recorded history. There are no records of its existence anywhere that we currently know of. This, my students, is a first for the world of Remnant. We have reason to believe that the population of Grimm will rise dramatically in the coming days, and we no longer have to luxury to teach you at a leisurely pace. And so..." he paused, looking into each and every student's eyes. "It is with a heavy heart that I must cancel your training, and graduate you all today. Anyone who wishes to opt out and return home may do so. But if you stay, and you accept this graduation to become a huntsman or huntress, you will no longer be students; you will be soldiers. And the law demands that you obey the orders of your commander during times of crisis; me."

Everyone looked around nervously. Some were unsure of what to do. Many looked scared. Others were cocky, confident that this would be an easy battle and that it would be over in the blink of an eye. "Those who wish to leave may do so now," Ozpin finished.

Several people started to exit the auditorium. Ruby wanted to stop them, to convince them that they should stay and help fight. In the crowd that was leaving she spotted Velvet, the rabbit faunus, and in Ruby's mind she saw Velvet's mangled corpse being chewed on by Beowolves and Boarbatusks. That memory of the dream caused Ruby to hesitate. Maybe Velvet would live if she left. Maybe the ones who went home would survive.

"Hold on!" cried a voice. Ruby saw Jaune forcing his way through the crowd before he climbed onto the stage. "Pardon me," he whispered as he grabbed the microphone. Ozpin smiled and politely stepped back to give Jaune room. "You guys that are leaving; why did you even come Beacon if you aren't going to risk your lives to save people? You think running home and hiding is going to keep you safe?" Everyone that was leaving froze and turned to listen to Jaune. "If the situation is bad enough to warrant early graduation for all of the students in training, then what does that tell you? Huh? It means that they need every huntsman and huntress they can get!"

"Look at me!" Jaune spread his arms. "I know that most of you are better than me. Some of the people trying to leave could stomp me into the dirt without breaking a sweat. But am I running? Am I trying to hide? No! I'm the leader of team JNPR, and I plan on leading my team into battle for the safety of all those I care about. Are you going to let yourselves be beaten by _me_? Jaune the loser? Jaune the failure? Or are you going to stand up and fight?"

_No, Jaune,_ Ruby thought. _Let them leave if they want. They might survive! They might live!_

A lone cheer erupted from the crowd; Cardin Winchester was clapping and praising Jaune. "YEAH!" he screamed. "They're just Grimm! Let's fuck 'em up!" Everyone else joined the cheer, and the ones leaving turned back around and rejoined their respective teams; Velvet stayed as well.

Ozpin placed a hand on Juane's shoulder. "Well said, young man." He turned to the students and spoke into the microphone. "Without further delay; as of this very moment you are no longer students at Beacon Academy. Welcome, fellow Hunters and Huntresses! Your teams shall remain intact, and you will be given dangerous combat missions. Godspeed, and good luck. You are all dismissed for now." A loud cheer erupted from the crowd once more as they dispersed. Ozpin nodded at Jaune and gestured for him to go to his team.

"Come along, team RWBY. We've got some friends to greet soon," he said as he walked off the stage, Glynda and team RWBY trailing behind. They stood at the gate of Beacon, waiting for the guests to arrive.

After twenty minutes of waiting, a lone figure arrived. "I'm here, Red," came Roman's voice.

"Where's your superior?" Ozpin asked.

"She said, and I quote, _why would I walk blindly into such an obvious trap_. Of course, she doesn't know about Red's dream, so that's to be expected."

"Uh, sis, why does Torchwick know about that?" Yang asked, feeling suspicious.

"I...uh...kind of went looking for him last night," Ruby admitted.

Yang's eyes changed red. "Oh, really. And just what did you do to my sister while she was alone, scum bag?" Yang marched up to him and grabbed his coat, activating Ember Celica.

"Oh please. Is she full of bullet holes?" he asked jokingly. "No? Then there's your answer. I was curious to know why she wanted to see me, so I humored her and I listened." He was tempted to say that he talked her into smoking a cigar, but he decided against it. Probably for the better as well. He smirked, though, while Yang let him go. "So, Red, your black comet showed up. Should I be as worried as I am, or can I go home and sleep peacefully tonight?"

The howls of Beowolves came from the distant Emerald Forest. "I believe that may answer your question, Mr. Torchwick."

Roman cursed. "Wonderful."

* * *

_Song: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)-Marilyn Manson_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Imagine a cinematic camera slowly panning up to reveal the comet with "Sweet Dreams" beginning to play at that moment. Sends chills down your spine, doesn't it? Here we go. The descent into darkness has begun! Originally I was going to call this chapter "7 Days to the Wolves" because of the lyric "Where will we be when they come?", but Sweet Dreams seemed more fitting. I still don't know how long this is going to be, but I know what the story I want to tell is. I feel like I can really commit to this story! Fingers crossed!

So, the comet's 's freaked out, and I'm pretty sure Ozpin shit his pants when no one was looking. I know Roman did.

And like zat, ze wvar begins! (Oops, did I just accidentally a war?) Till next time!


	4. Chapter 3: Drag You Down

Chapter 3: Drag You Down

Sun Wu Kong sat peacefully in the forest. He lived wherever he wanted to live, which was usually somewhere outdoors. That's just the way he liked it, and today he fancied a nap in the forest. He took in a deep breath to enjoy the spring air, but paused. He sniffed again. That's an odd smell. It couldn't be what he thought it was, could it? He quieted his own breathing so he could focus his faunus hearing on his surroundings. _Snap. Shuffle. Snarl._ He smiled.

"Yup," he said out loud. "That's a Grimm." He hadn't had a good fight since that Roman Torchwick guy showed up at the shipyard. The man may be lower than scum, but Sun had to admit that he sure as hell could fight. He stood and drew his weapon and turned to face the source of the sound; a pair of Beowolves.

He smiled before whistling to get their attention. "C'mon, puppies. Let's go for a walk!" The Boewolves turned to face him and bared their fangs at him before they charged him at full speed. With very little effort, he swung his staff around and quickly dispatched both of them. "Come on, guys! You should have known better. Sometimes, the trick is to know when to just walk away." He heard the sound of another Beowolf. He looked up and saw...dare he count that many? The pack was large; larger than anything he had ever seen. The two he killed must have been scouts. "Eheheh. Know when to walk away," he repeated. "And know when to _run_!" He ran as fast as he could to the city, hoping to outrun the horde of Beowolves behind him.

* * *

The room was fascinating. Ruby and Jaune hadn't seen anything like it outside of war movies. It was a large conference room with a round table in the middle, and escalating rows of seats on each of the far walls. The only people present were team leaders, professors, and Roman. Ozpin and the professors sat at the table, while the students sat in the seats on the walls; Roman stood near the doorway by himself. "Thank you all for coming to this meeting. I apologize for the suddenness of which I called you all in here. Today is turning out to be quite interesting, wouldn't you say? You woke up this morning as normal students, and after lunch was over you were all graduated."

He sighed before taking a sip from his mug. "It's going to be a long day still yet, I'm afraid. Welcome to the Beacon War Room...this room hasn't been used in many years. Not even for staff meetings." He looked around the room, allowing a sense of nostalgia wash over him.

Glynda cleared her throat. "While I'm sure the students...the hunters would enjoy a history lesson, perhaps we should focus on the subject at hand, Professor?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. My apologies. Team leaders; you have been gathered here at this moment to discuss tactics to be used in the coming days. We don't know exactly when the Grimm will begin their attack, but we know it will happen, and it will happen soon. As much as I wish I could make all of the decisions myself, I'm afraid that is too much for me to handle. I will open the floor to any who wish to speak."

"Um, sir?" a young man asked as he stood. "How do we know that the comet and the Grimm are connected?"

"Good question. Miss Rose, would you care to answer?"

Ruby nodded, and a sudden wave of nervousness came over her. She stood up and tried to keep composed while she recounted the events of her dream.

* * *

Melanie and Militia were doing what two sisters with nothing to do usually do; hanging out. They didn't work for Junior until late in the evening, but they didn't want to be bored while they waited to go to work. They lived in a relatively nice house together on the edge of Vale. Working for Junior paid well, so it allowed them to afford to live in comfort. In spite of the loud, public location where they worked, they actually preferred to be away from others in their spare time. It's not like they work for Junior because they like the loud music or the wild dancing; although, it was fun from time to time.

Like a few months back. Anyone else would have been absolutely livid about being beaten in a fight, but that brawler blonde that beat them was actually a lot of fun. They didn't tell Junior, but they secretly wished that she would come back. After all, most of the time they just throw out the drunken morons who can't keep their eyes above the sisters' chests.

Today, however, to pass the time, the sisters decided that they would go for a walk; maybe do a little shopping. As twins, they did everything together. They locked up the house and began walking in silence as they took in their surroundings.

"Melanie," Militia began. "Why is it so dark?"

Melanie shrugged. "I dunno. Might have something to do with that," she said, pointing at the black comet.

"Well that's interesting," Militia commented. "You'd think they'd announce on the news when something like that would happen. I left the camera in the house."

Melanie stopped. "Did you hear that, Militia?"

"Hear what?"

"Shh," she said. "Listen." The two stopped walking and focused on listening. "I thought I heard footsteps."

A few seconds later, Militia heard them too. "Sounds like someone's running." She turned around and poked her sister's shoulder to get her to look too. They saw a blonde haired boy...scratch that, a blonde haired faunus boy running in their direction.

"You think he's gonna try to rob us?" Melanie asked.

Militia smiled. "I'd like to see him try," she said as she donned her claws.

As the pair readied to fight, they noticed that he showed no signs of slowing down. Before they knew it, he was running past them, yelling, "I'd run if I were you!" as he went.

The sisters looked at each other in confusion before the sound of Beowolves howling reached their ears. In the direction where the faunus came from was the edge of the Emerald Forest, and the two girls could see dozens of red eyes coming into view from beyond the trees; they were getting closer. They looked at each other and nodded, before following the faunus as fast as they could. Anyone who sees that many Beowolves has an excuse to book it.

At the same moment, as he acknowledged that the sisters had taken his hint and followed after him, Sun decided that he could use some help to get rid of the Beowolves. Beacon is just at the top of this hill, after all.

* * *

Ruby finished explaining what she saw in her dreams, leaving the whole room mortified. The silence frightened Ruby; she was afraid that they would all think that she's crazy.

Of all the people to break the silence, it was Cardin. "I'm sorry, but shouldn't that be impossible? Seeing the future in a dream seems a bit farfetched to me."

"It's true," Ozpin agreed. "It shouldn't be possible. But if her dream is in fact just a dream, then there is one major coincidence flying across the sky right now."

"It's not neccesarilly impossible," said Jaune. "She _could_ have been shown a vision of the future somehow, but then you have the possibility that the future she described actually happened, and the instant she died she was sent into a cycle where she repeats the timeframe in question with the chance to change it. Then you've got the possibility that Future Ruby somehow sent the information to Past Ruby in an attempt to alter history for the better. Really, the list of possibilities goes on." Everyone stared at him, genuinely impressed. He cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Sorry, I, uh, read a lot of comic books."

"It doesn't matter how she was given this knowledge, so long as we assume that its true and we act accordingly," Ozpin commented.

"Was this meeting a part of your dream?" asked another team leader.

"Not this one, no. If I remember correctly, the first meeting of team leaders wouldn't have occurred until a few days after the comet appeared. Most likely when the Grimm attacked," she replied.

"Meaning that our knowledge of what is to come has already given us several days' head start. What should we do with the time we've been given?"

Velvet raised her hand. "Sir, I think it would be a good idea to place watchers around the campus. As close as we are to the Emerald Forest, it seems likely that Grimm could start pouring out at any moment. Specifically, I think that the night watch should consist of as many faunus hunters and huntresses as possible."

"That's a good idea," another girl, a ferret faunus, agreed. "Faunus have night vision and superior hearing. We would be better suited to watch at night."

"Very well. We'll organize for certain teams to watch during the day, and at night we'll build a set of unique faunus teams. Velvet, Alegra, you two will be in charge of recruiting as many faunus volunteers as you can to watch at night. Keep in mind, though, that the teams that they come from can't watch in the day. We can't have the night watchers falling asleep on us."

"Yes, sir," the two girls said.

"What about supplies?" Jaune asked. "I'd wager that Beacon only has a limited supply of ammo, dust, spare parts, and food."

Torchwick sighed. "I think I can get that covered. Cinder won't be too pleased, but I have loads of dust and ammo, and plenty of Bullheads to haul all of it."

"You mean the stuff you stole?" Cardin mouthed off.

"Man's gotta make a living."

"I heard that you got your ass kicked by Ruby Rose. How's it feel to be beaten by a girl who's not even old enough to drive?"

Torchwick smiled. "You got a bit of a mouth, don't you punk? I'll remember that when you need one of my Bullheads to save your ass!"

"Enough!" Ozpin yelled, which surprised everyone in the room except for Glynda. "We'll take your offer, Mr. Torchwick. Thank you."

"Here to help," he answered sarcastically.

Ozpin nodded. "Oobleck, I want you to run reconnaissance in the Emerald Forest as soon as this meeting is over."

"Right," the green haired professor answered, sipping from his coffee.

"Port, help organize the day watchers. Make sure none of the faunus are mixed in with them. We need them for the night watch. Also, help them set a perimeter of traps."

"It shall be done," Port said through his mustache.

"Any other suggestions?" the room was silent. "Then you are dismissed. Report back to your teams. Those of you who are going to sign your teams up for day watch come back here in thirty minutes. Stay safe." Before anyone could blink, Oobleck became a green blur as he ran out of the door.

The team leaders left the room, chatting quietly amongst themselves as they made their way back to their respective teams. Ruby had no specific orders, and she knew that Blake would most likely volunteer for the night watch teams which meant that team RWBY wouldn't take day watch. She returned to the shared dorm of team RWBY and explained what was currently decided upon. She told Blake about the night watch and told her that if she wanted to volunteer that she should see Velvet or Alegra. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang decided to help fortify the campus while Blake reported to Velvet.

"Yang?" Ruby asked, gaining her elder sister's attention.

"What is it, sis?" she asked, carrying some lumber.

"My dream...do you think that I can change our fate because I know what's _supposes_ to happen?"

Yang had been hammering away on the fortification she was building, but stopped and donned a serious expression; she was in 'big sister' mode. "Ruby, you saw what _could_ happen, not what's _supposed_ to happen. Nothing is ever written in stone until it's already been done. There is nothing to change, because we're forging our own fate. You're knowledge of the 'what ifs' gives a better advantage than before, but it doesn't change anything; we're going to beat this."

"So...so I won't lose you this time, will I?" Ruby began to cry. "I'll get to keep you in my life?"

Yang felt her own hot tears; she never did like to see Ruby become emotional. "Oh, Ruby," she began as she marched over to her sister and embraced her in a gentle and loving hug. "I'll never leave you."

"I don't want to be alone," she answered.

"You won't be. You've got me, Weiss, and Blake. You've got team JNPR, and you've got Ozpin. Hell, it looks like you even have Roman. I'm sure he's awful company, but he needs all of us as well to survive."

Ruby giggled. "Yeah, he is terrible company."

"Right?"Yang asked in a teasing tone. "He just seems so...so _snarky_."

Ruby snorted as she tried to fight back laughter. "Snarky?"

"It's a word. Look it up." Yang flashed a smile. "Don't you worry about a thing, sis. We'll be fine!"

"Ms. Rose!" came the voice of Professor Ozpin. The two sisters, and Weiss who was off to the side, turned to greet him. "I believe a friend of yours has shown up. He says that he ran away from a large group of Beowolves that were at the edge of the city."

"Are they attacking?" Yang asked.

"No. I've already looked into the matter. They haven't left the Emerald Forest yet. It appears they aren't brave enough to attack the city just yet."

"Give them time," Ruby said darkly. "They'll leave it eventually."

"What 'friend' was it this time?" Weiss asked.

A blonde faunus with two black haired beauties behind him approached. "Yo!" greeted Sun. "It's been a while!"

Yang saw the two girls and immediately deployed Ember Celica. "_You!_" she cried.

"Oh look, Militia; it's that blonde girl," Melanie pointed out.

"So it is, sis. A shame we can't spare the time to fight her. She was so much fun," Militia added.

"Uh..._fun_?" Yang asked, confused. "Aren't you guys pissed that I beat you to a pulp last time we met?"

"Not at all," the sisters said in sync. Melanie smiled as she added. "You actually made working for Junior interesting for once. For that we should thank you."

"Oh. Um, okay. You're welcome, I guess."

"If greetings are out of the way, then I suggest that we return to our business," Ozpin interupted. They all agreed and returned to work. Sun and the Malachite twins were allowed to rest up a bit, but before long they too had volunteered to help fortify and watch for Grimm.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

_[Song: Drag You Down-Finger Eleven]_

So, this one was a bitch to write. I've had trouble writing before, but this was just annoying.

Hell, I almost hated it. Well, not erally. I can never "hate" writing, unless I'm writing something I don't want to write. I did want this.

Eh, it's mostly filler though. I hate filler.

But what are you gonna do? It's gotta be done. Filler is a neccesary evil sometimes.

Under normal circumstances I'd have taken ages to finish. This is because I know where I'm going to take the story.

Really, though, I just really wanted to get this out there. I know where I want to go, but first I got to get us there.

Now that it's out, I can begin the next chapter! FINALLY!

Seriously, please don't lynch me yet. We're getting darker.

! TILL NEXT TIME !


	5. Chapter 4: Seven Days to the Wolves

Chapter 4: Seven Days to the Wolves

A week had gone by. Citizens of the City of Vale soon had to be evacuated due to the rising threat of Grimm. Thankfully, there was a large citadel just a day's journey away where they could take refuge; Fort Stein. Granted, it was built in the days of the Faunus War and designed to repel soldiers, but it would still serve to stand against the Grimm. Vale looked like a ghost town now, but with any luck it would not remain abandoned.

"Professor Ozpin," Ruby said when she heard about the civilians' evacuation to Fort Stein. "Are you sure it's a good idea to let them go there? Wouldn't putting a large number of humans in the same place be dangerous?"

"Hm?" he replied. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if even a single Grimm got inside, the death toll would be high would it not?"

He smiled. "You're right, but that's only _if_ they get inside."

"What?" Ruby asked, confused.

"You've never seen Fort Stein, have you?" She shook her head. "Ordinarily, Ms. Rose, I'd be just as concerned as you are. But Fort Stein is...shall we say, very sturdy."

"You have faith that it will be safe from Grimm?"

"Faith is good. But faith is what I would have when I have nothing else to rely upon. I have the _knowledge_ that Fort Stein is currently one of the safest places in all of Vale." He tapped his cane onto the stone floor beneath him. "It's as sturdy as the stone its named for."

That was that, and Ruby had to believe Ozpin. If Ozpin truly thought that it was safe, then it must be safe. Now the only thing she was worried about what when the Grimm would finally attack. They had been skirting the city, and their numbers were growing exponentially, but they still hadn't made a move against the city or the school yet. Even today, they were skulking in the shadows of the trees.

* * *

Beacon now had a rather sizable wall around its perimeter, designed to keep the lesser Grimm at bay should they come to the school. The first day it was made of plywood and planks, but with each passing day it was strengthened and built upon; now it was thick concrete on the surface with the original wood sitting in the core, as well as various pieces of metal to help it keep its form. Every one hundred feet there was a scaffold for the watchers to stand on as they cast their eyes towards the sounds of the distant Grimm.

It was on one of these scaffolds that Cardin Winchester stared intently into the distance, feeling the rage of confusion bubble up in his core. Though many people didn't like him, he was still trained and dressed as a knight, and as such he was one of the best sentries that Ozpin could have asked for. It wasn't because of his watchman status that Cardin was angry. In fact, his team mates were angry about it, but not he. He volunteered for it and had to order his team to join him. No, what made him mad was the _uncertainty_ of what was skulking in the distant forest.

He'd fought Grimm many times before, and had won just as many times, but even the strongest and toughest can know fear, and Cardin was _afraid_. The howls he heard weren't the normal howls of Grimm; they were the blood thirsty, blood curdling, heart stopping sounds of death as it stalked its prey. In spite of his fear, however, he didn't want to be caught off guard. After a whole week, no one had been sent into the forest to scout it out, and that uncertainty is was scared and angered him.

He heard a small beep come from his scroll; his watch had ended. He turned and saw his replacement climbing the scaffolding. "Hey," said the boy; Cardin barely remembered that his name was Relius. "Time to switch."

"Yeah," Cardin said monotonously. "I really don't like that sound." He nodded his head towards to woods.

"Makes you uncomfortable, doesn't it. I've never heard howls like that before."

"I doubt anyone has," he commented before he jumped down. "Well, keep your eyes peeled." He began walking to grab a bite to eat. He'd been on watch since after breakfast, and it was now almost noon. He was so intent on watching for Grimm that he almost forgot that he was getting hungry. In spite of his attitude a week ago about how easy Grimm were to kill, the more he heard that howling the more he realised that they would be in grave danger. In fact, his watch spot is shared by Velvet, who watches at night. Normally, he'd use the opportunity to ridicule her, but he had put his racism aside in light of duty. He didn't like it, but he knew it had to be done. He felt he made up for it by never acknowledging that she's even there when he arrives in the morning.

Still, he felt unsure of what was really out there. Was that really the sound of an army of Grimm, or just several large Grimm? At this rate, there was only one way to find out; wait for them to attack first. The thought made Cardin freeze in his tracks. _No_, he thought. _I refuse to wait for them to catch us off guard._ With an idea in mind, he made his way to Ozpin's office to lay his thoughts on the table.

* * *

Ozpin's office was somewhat cramped; the Malachite Twins, Sun, and Roman were all present, as well as Ruby who was sitting off to the side. Ozpin was reading a report that Roman had lain in front of him a few minutes ago. Sun felt a smile burning on his face. He wanted to be respectful to Ozpin, but he really, _really_ wanted to make a jab at Roman. Let it be said that Sun has _zero_ self restraint.

"Must hurt your pride, Torch, eh? Look at you standing in front of someone else, acting like a glorified servant," Sun teased, opening a can of worms that he knew would eventually be opened; it was only a matter of time.

"Cute," Roman commented sarcastically. "Tell me a joke I haven't heard yet, then we'll talk."

"You've heard that one?"

"Different variations of it. All week. Got old fast."

Sun smiled. "Guess I'll have to try harder."

"Assuming a bum like you can." Shots fired. Sun was about to retaliate when Roman raised his cane and placed the tip on Sun's throat. "Give me a reason. I dare you."

"Quiet," Ozpin said calmly, forcing both men to stand down, though their glares at each other could cut diamond. The report Ozpin was reading was an inventory of all the things Roman had brought to Beacon. "And you're sure this is everything?"

"Everything I had, plus a little extra that the identical duo helped provide yesterday. Would you believe that Junior made me pay for it?"

"You paid for something?" Sun asked.

"Like you ever have," Ruby commented under breath.

Roman ignored the monkey faunus as he continued. "I only paid for it because we needed the supplies as soon as possible. Sorry, but if there's anything worth paying for, it's necessities to survive this nightmare that's spawned on us."

"I suppose you want to be compensated?" Ozpin asked. No one else but Ruby heard it, but there was a slight trace of annoyance in his voice.

"It wouldn't hurt, but since you're helping me as much as I'm helping you I'll only ask for half what I paid, which means you owe me 500,000 Lien."

The headmaster sighed. "Very well. We shall see what we can do."

"You spent a _million_? What did you buy from Junior?" Ruby asked.

"A number of things. Ammo, food, drinks, _real_ drinks for whenever it's 'one of those' days, and extra fuel for my Bullheads, as well as the one private Bullhead he owned...most of the money went towards that last one."

"Why did you need an extra Bullhead?" Sun asked. "Aren't you the only one who can fly one?"

"No," Ozpin said. "Some of our professors, and I think one student, has a pilot's license."

"Also," Roman added. "The private one is modified. It's larger, which means we can fit more on it. More could be more huntsmen, more cargo; you name it, it'll haul it."

"Which brings me to why I called all of you hear. Roman, you've already said that you'll be our primary pilot, but what are you going to do if your Bullhead gets attacked while you're dusting off?"

Roman was about to answer, but he paused. "Hadn't thought about that, actually."

"I see. Well, it's too dangerous for just one person to operate a Bullhead. So, as our first extraction unit you are going to be a part of a team."

"What, Red's team?" he asked sarcastically.

"No. I was thinking of making a team with our newest assets." Ozpin stood and addressed the people it the room as a whole. "Sun Wukong, Melanie and Militia Malachite, and Roman Torchwick: you will form team SMMR (Summer). Roman, as much as I hate to grant you a position of power, you are the team leader."

"Believe me, Ozpin, I've been in a position of power since I got here. All I have to do is take my stuff and leave."

"Are you going to do that?"

He shook his head. "No. I'd like to be able to go home and sleep soundly at night; that incessant howling won't let me though. I'd like to see an end to that."

"Amen to that," Sun said.

"That means you two need to start getting along," Ruby added, pointing at Roman and Sun. Both men groaned. As dark as the situation was getting, and the fact that it was getting darker, the sight of Roman and Sun interacting put a smile on her face.

"What are you grinning about, Red?" Roman asked.

"Nothing," she said, deciding that she was going to tease them. "I just thought that you two make a cute couple."

Roman's glare shot daggers into Ruby. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a half smoked cigar. "Say one more thing, Red, and I'm taking this to Blondie."

Ruby went pale. "Why...do you still have that?"

Roman smiled. "A rainy day, as they say." He put it away. "You're a team leader, so why do you care about what big sis has to say?"

"_Because_ she's my sister. She's practically my mother a lot of the time."

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

"Well," Ruby thought. "Since mom died, Yang's always been there for me. She's taught me so much, protected me when I was weak, and she burns brighter than the sun when I'm feeling sad."

"She burns?" Roman asked. "Isn't that a tad literal?"

Ruby giggled. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Roman scoffed. "I guess I just don't see the big deal."

"Maybe if you had a sister you'd understand," Melanie commented, earning a high five from Militia and a smile from Ruby. Roman rolled his eyes.

Ozpin was about to add his thoughts on the matter when a knock came from the door. "Come in," he said. The door opened, and Cardin stepped into the room.

He looked around at the five individuals who were also here before stepping up to Ozpin's desk. "Sir, I think we should sent out a group of recon teams to see what exactly is in the forest. Our latest information is from the faunus who showed up a week ago."

"Standing right here, bro," Sun commented. Cardin didn't acknowledge him.

"Don't mind him," Ruby whispered into Sun's ear. "He, uh, doesn't really care for faunus."

"Ah, I see." Sun kept a watchful eye on Cardin now.

"My point is that we haven't seen a change in a week, but the sounds are getting worse. We need to see what we're up against so that we can plan for it should it attack," Cardin continued.

"I see," Ozpin said. "How many teams should we spare for this recon excursion?"

"I realize we don't have as many teams as we would like, but we should send out at least two. If we recon one area of the forest, it should be logical to assume that other areas are in similar conditions and we can make a rough estimate to plan with. Or maybe even send out two teams on different days to different areas to map it out properly."

Ozpin looked deep in thought. "I agree. I assume you are volunteering your team, Mr. Winchester?"

"Of course, sir. Team CRDL will gladly participate in a recon mission."

"You sure you're not using this as an excuse to skip out on watch duty?" Roman joked.

Cardin wanted to return the remark in kind, but instead he voiced his deeper thoughts to Ozpin. "Sir, I'd like to think that I don't scare easily unless my life is in danger. The last time I was this scared was when the Ursa attacked me in Forever Fall. I don't know what's in those woods, and I don't want to find out, but someone has to make a plan to counter them should they attack us. We can't plan properly if we don't figure out what's out there, am I right?"

"You are correct," Ozpin agreed. "And frankly, I'm proud of you for being proactive enough to suggest this. Thank you. Do you have any recommendations for the second team?"

Cardin shook his head. "I don't know the other teams' skills enough, sir. I'll leave that decision to you."

"Hm...how about team VLVT?" Ozpin asked. "They're very strong, and Ms. Scarlatina is both a very adept mage, and a faunus with heightened senses. I'd wager she'd be invaluable on such a mission."

Cardin was cursing inwardly, but he had to agree. Thankfully the recon he had in mind didn't involve the teams being in direct contact with each other, so he wouldn't have to see her. "Very well. When would you like us to go?"

"One hour. Do be careful, Mr. Winchester. And, that goes for you too, SMMR. Should they need to call for imediate extraction, it is now your job to pick them up. Keep the Bullhead ready."

Roman nodded. "Let's go, team," he said, mild sarcasm seeping through as he said 'team'. "We haven't got all day." The Malachite twins followed him as he left.

Sun stayed for a few seconds. "Well, this sucks," he commented as he finally made his way to the door. Cardin left as well to assemble his team, and Ozpin sent a message to team VLVT. Ruby said goodbye and began to make her way to her dorm.

_CRDL and VLVT, huh?_ she thought. _No one's going to be happy on this mission. Oh well, as long as they come back safe, everything...should..._Her eyes went wide. Her thoughts flashed to her dream.

_Velvet's body was recovered from the Emerald forest. The members of team VLVT were all crying, and Cardin stood over them with a look of sadness. He didn't like faunus, but he would like anyone who would save his life. He owed Velvet that much. The wounds that she died from were gained because Cardin was ambushed by a group of Ursa, and she just happened to see him in danger. Velvet didn't like Cardin, but she had a kind heart. That heart had ceased to beat, and now Cardin felt months' worth of guilt pile onto him at once, but he had no words he could say to make up for anything he had ever done._

"No!" Ruby screamed, tears in her eyes. "How could I forget that? I saw it! I saw it, I was there when they brought her back!" She looked up and saw her sister standing in the door in front of her; Ruby had made it to her room without realizing.

"Sis, are you okay?" Yang asked, concerned.

"Yang! We have to warn them!"

"Warn who? What? What is it?" Yang asked, getting more serious.

"Today, team CRDL and VLVT are going to go on a recon mission. Velvet's going to get seperated from her team by mistake, and in her attempt to find them she's going to find Cardin being ambushed. She's going to die, Yang. She's going to die to protect Cardin!"

"Tch!" Yang almost spat. "To think that she'd die protecting that scumbag after everything he's done to her."

"We have to warn her!"

"No!" Yang declared.

"Wh-what? Why? She'll die!"

"I know, Ruby. But there are other ways to change that. We can't tell her. Can imagine how scared she would be if she knew? She might die from something else because of her paranoia! Anything could happen when fear clouds someone's mind."

"Then...what are we going to do? I can't let her die this time."

Yang looked at her sister thoughtfully. "Leave it to me. You just stay in the room. Have Blake make you some tea. I'll be back."

* * *

"Okay," Cardin began explaining to his team, and team VLVT. He pointed at a map of the surrounding forest. "We're gonna start here in grids A and B for now. Team CRDL takes A, VLVT takes B. If you see anything major, do not engage; report it over the radio and keep track of as much information about it as possible. We're not going in for combat unless absolutely neccesary, understood?" He saw seven heads nod, four of which very clearly hated him.

He nodded, and the two teams began to assemble their equipment; weapons, ammo, headsets for communication, and so on. In the courtyard nearby, Cardin could hear the sound of a Bullhead firing up; Roman was getting ready in case he was needed. Cardin didn't like Roman, and suspected that he wouldn't be reliable should they need an extraction. Still, he didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

"Hey! Cardin!" he heard from behind. He turned and saw Yang calling him over.

_That's odd_, he thought. _What could she want?_ He walked over, telling his team that he'd be right back. "What's up?" he asked.

"Listen," she said with a darkly serious tone. "I want you to look over there." She pointed and Cardin looked. He saw Velvet.

"What about her?" he asked, almost irritated. He had an idea as to where it was going from here.

"She's a sweet girl, don't you think? She's polite, doesn't get into trouble, has quite a few friends. Did you know my sister is one of her friends?"

"Look, if you're worried I'm taking her into the woods to hurt her, then you're wrong, okay? We're not even going to see each other until the mission's over."

"Oh, that's not what I'm worried about. Remember Ruby's dream?" Cardin nodded. Yang continued with, "Velvet is going to die today on this mission. She dies protecting your sorry ass."

Cardin's eyes went wide. "Why would she do that for me? I'm not her friend," he said defiantly.

"Like I said; she's a sweet girl." She leaned into Cardin's ear to whisper, "If I don't see her come back in one piece, I will personally give you a beating so hard that you'll wish you were dead." She leaned back. "So, promise me that she will."

Cardin didn't care for the blonde, but he knew she was serious, and that she _could_ make do on that threat. "I promise."

She smiled. In spite of her menacing tone moments ago, her smile seemed sweet and gentle. Truly, Yang was a force to be reckoned with. "I'll be looking for you when you get back." She seemed to walk away happily.

Cardin nodded and returned to his team. "Time we left," he yelled for both teams to hear. "Mic check." He and the others tested the communication system. "Alright, let's head out!" The two teams left the confines of the concrete barrier and split up; one went East, the other went West.

* * *

Two hours had gone by. Team VLVT had been split apart. Minutes ago they saw a large group of Beowolves. There was no way that the team would go unnoticed if they stayed together, so the opted to split into individual groups until they could circumvent them. The only problem was that not long after the split, Velvet's headset stopped working. _Great_, she thought. _Now I can't talk to my team. I won't know where they plan to rendezvous._

Maybe her scroll could still track where other Beacon scrolls were. She pulled it out once she knew she wouldn't be spotted by Grimm, and checked for nearby pings. Unfortunatley, this feature had a very limited range. That being said, she saw a single ping that was within range. "Must be one of my team mates," she said in a low voice as she began to make her way towards the ping.

Team CRDL had to split up as well, as they found several Ursa that had gathered. Cardin was in communication with his team still, but there was no need to talk yet; not all of his team had given the 'green light' that they were safe away from the Ursa. He was safe for now, so he waited to hear from all of them.

While he waited, he thought about Yang's warning. _Why would Velvet sacrifice herself for me? _he thought. Yang's response echoed in his head.

_'Like I said; she's a sweet girl.'_

He didn't like her; he didn't like any faunus. Although, he did ease up on her as of late. Even before the comet showed up, he started to take it easy. That was because of Jaune in Forever Fall. Cardin chuckled lightly. _I don't know what's worse; the fact that Jaune saved me, or that I was sort of happy that he manned up._ Cardin may have been a jerk, but with the comet and the Grimm that came with it, he decided to be efficient over his own wants and likes and dislikes. You don't have to like someone, so long as you can work with them for a common goal. That was his mentality.

No one would think so by seeing how he normally acted, but Cardin actually held promises very high on his priorities. Once a promise was made, it had to be kept. He had made a promise to Yang, but he didn't know how he would keep it. Maybe he would recognize the moment she was supposed to save him? If Ruby's dream really was a premonition of sorts, and today was the day that Velvet would perish protecting Cardin, then that means that he would see Velvet during the mission. He looked at his scroll: there was still an hour left in the mission before they were to turn back and return to Beacon.

He heard a break over his headset. It was Sky. "I'm clear," he said. Dove came in a moment later and said that he was clear as well.

"Alright," Cardin said. "We'll meet up in five minutes, understood?" They gave their affirmatives. He was about to tell them that he was on his way, but he heard a shuffle from behind. He turned and saw a large Ursa twenty yards away glaring at him. _Fuck. _he thought, hoping that is may not have spotted him. It had. "Guys, I could use some help. There's an Ursa that's spotted me," he whispered.

"On our way!" Russel said.

Cardin and the Ursa sat still, staring at each other. "Easy now," Cardin said. "You don't want to come at me." The Ursa thought differently. Cardin took one step back, and that motion prompted the Grimm into baring its fangs in a loud growl as his began charging him. Cardin cursed as he deployed his mace. He swung to try to deflect the bear, but it simply swiped the weapon from his hands and knocked him backwards into a boulder.

His weapon landed near him, so he wasn't truly disarmed, but he didn't feel that he had enough time to grab it and try to fight again. The Ursa was upon him, ready to claw at his flesh, when Cardin saw a brown blur appear in front of him; it was Velvet. She was in front of the Ursa, trying to prepare a spell to counter it with, but Cardin could see, almost in slow motion, that she wasn't fast enough. When a mage is focused on casting their spells, their Aura is weaker; Velvet was going to be killed before she could use the spell.

Cardin didn't think as he moved. Using his legs, he kicked Velvets ankles and caused her to fall backwards; just in time for the Ursa to miss her body and swipe at the air. In the same motion as the kick, Cardin twisted his body to grab his mace and he launched his body at the Ursa, hitting it with full force. With every strike the Ursa stepped back, and Cardin even heard bones breaking with large cracking sounds. He didn't realize it, but he was fighting recklessly.

Velvet recovered and stood up, once more charging a spell. This time, with no interruptions, the spell was ready. However, she couldn't cast it; Cardin blocked her shot. "Move!" she yelled. "I can hit it if you get move!"

"I'm trying!" He yelled back. The Ursa was getting angry and was swinging its claws at Cardin, usually making contact. Cuts and gashes started to form all over Cardin's face, arms, and torso. Instinctively, he went to block the Ursa with his left arm. The blow that the bear dealt was devastation, tearing off most of the flesh of his left arm, and even removing some of the fingers from his hand. He screamed in agony, but kept fighting.

Velvet was getting desperate; she saw Cardin about to be attacked by an Ursa so she jumped in to help, but now he was being injured and she didn't have a clear shot. One more blow and Cardin was once more sent flying into the boulder; this time he was so exhausted that his Aura failed him before he impacted, shattering many ribs and a few bits of his spine. Velvet took the opportunity to blast the Ursa. "Rot in hell!" she yelled as her spell fired off and the Ursa exploded.

She gasped for air, exhausted from holding the spell for so long. "Cardin!" she cried as she rushed to him. "Cardin are you alright?"

He tried to laugh. "You idiot. Of course I'm not alright. I...I can't feel my legs."

"Oh no," Velvet whispered. "We're gonna call for Roman, okay? We're gonna get you fixed up." She ripped off a piece of her top and tried to wrap it around Cardin's arm to stop the bleeding. There were too many open wounds to cover up, and Cardin was likely bleeding internally; he was most likely going to die. She grabbed his headset and turned it to where both teams could hear. "This is Velvet; Cardin's been severely wounded, and we need extraction!"

Within seconds, the sound of Roman's voice coupled with Bullhead engines came, "On my way, little lady. Hang tight!"

"It would have been you," Cardin whispered.

"What?" she asked.

"I was supposed to live, and you were going to die. Ruby saw it happen. Yang told me, and made me promise that you would come back alive."

"But...but you hate me. You hate all faunus." Velvet had tears in her eyes.

"I still do...but I don't wish death on anyone. Not even an animal like you."

The rest of team CRDL arrived. "Cardin!" Dove exclaimed. He turned to Velvet. "What happened?!" he asked angrily.

"I..I tried to help him, but..."

"This is your fault!" Sky yelled, preparing to strike her.

"Leave her alone," Cardin interrupted. "I saved her. I won't have you undoing what I've done." He turned to Velvet. "I know what they think of me at Beacon. I won't be remembered as a cruel, heartless bastard! I refuse that fate!"

"No," Dove said. "Don't talk like that. You're gonna be fine."

Velvet knew better. He was a goner, no matter what anyone did at this point; he'd lost too much blood. "Cardin, I'll see to it that you're remembered as a hero."

He smiled. "A hero, huh?" That doesn't sound too bad." He raised his right hand and placed his mace into Velvet's hands. "I made a promise, Velvet. Don't make me break that promise."

The sound of a Bullhead above them made them look up; Roman was landing in a nearby clearing. Velvet's team showed up around the same time and they helped Velvet carry Cardin into the drop ship. They didn't make it back to Beacon before Cardin slipped from life.

* * *

Team RWBY was waiting in the courtyard, prepared for the worst. Yang saw the Bullhead take off, which meant that something had happened and forced the recon teams to call for an extraction. _I swear, Cardin, if she doesn't make it back..._

Within moments, the Bullhead came into view and descended to land. School nurses rushed over and opened the doors, ready to help the wounded. Seven occupants slowly got out, wearing grim expressions on their faces; among them was Velvet, which made Yang breathe a sigh of relief.

"Where's Cardin?" Weiss asked. That caused yang to look again.

She saw Russel drop to his knees and scream incoherently. _Oh no_, she thought. Sun and Roman stepped out of the Bullhead, carrying a single black bag; a body bag. Yang ran, ignoring Weiss's call for her to come back.

She stopped in front of Velvet. "What happened?" she asked, almost frantically.

Velvet, still crying, met Yang's gaze. "He...he wouldn't let me help him. I tried to save him but he...he knocked me out of the way. He died trying to keep me alive."

Yang's heart sank. She had tried to save a life, and inadvertently caused another to be lost in its place. She hugged Velvet tightly, like she had for Ruby so many times before, but it wasn't Velvet she was trying to comfort.

It was herself.

* * *

Sun sat alone on a courtyard bench. It was night now, and he had swapped watch Duty with Blake for the night. She knew why he didn't want to sit watch, and she agreed. All of his life Sun had been on his own and had experienced hardship, but today was his first encounter with death in any form. Was this the bleak future that everyone was going to be subjugated to?

"Can't sleep?" he heard a voice; the voice of the man who helped him carry Cardin's body from the Bullhead. He looked up and he saw Roman. "Mind if I join you?"

Sun didn't like Roman, but he wanted some company. "Be my guest."

Roman nodded and sat down next to him. "The first time you've seen someone die?" Sun nodded. "It's never easy. In fact, I don't think it gets any easier."

"What do you care? You're a criminal. I've heard you've even murdered before."

Roman met Sun's gaze. "That doesn't mean I enjoy it."

"You shot at us all, remember? You tried to kill us!"

Roman shook his head. "If I wanted any of you dead, you wouldn't have had the chance to fight me. My murderous intent is for show; it's a trick. I'm a thief, and I will use any method to steal what I want, and that includes making you think that I'll kill you."

Sun stared intently at Roman, not sure what to make of his speech. "Why should I trust you?"

Roman smiled a sad smile. "You can't. Not yet anyway. I've always believed that you can't trust a man until you've had a nice, strong drink with him. Also, I'd say today's events are worth getting drunk over. So," he reached into his coat and removed a silver flask. "How about we get to trusting each other?"

Sun looked at the flask, then back to Roman. "Teach me how to fly the Bullhead tomorrow. If we're going to work together to try to save people, then we need as many people who are able to fly as possible."

Roman nodded. "Deal." He took a sip out of the flask and passed to Sun.

"Deal," he replied before taking a sip of his own. The night was darker than ever, Beacon was down a huntsmen, and the howling of Grimm could be heard louder than ever; it was almost as if they knew that they had killed one of their enemies.

"They'll attack soon, I'm sure," Roman commented.

"Yeah. And where will we be when they come?"

* * *

_Song: 7 Days to the Wolves-Nightwish_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE  
**

This is the longest chapter yet. I hope I made Cardin somewhat likable, while maintaining is asshole attitude. I literally have been sitting here since about 7:30 writing this (It's 11:30 now) I was in such a hurry to write it that I didn't eat much dinner and had to stop near the end (3 hours after i started) to grab more food. Don't skip meals, children. It's not healthy.

The first step into the night has been taken, and our first death has occurred. Our _first_ death, I repeat. There will be more. And its just now hitting me that this is going to be a long story. I hope you guys stick around for the ending, because I actually know exactly how I'm going to end it. It's great, but you'll have to wait a while to see it for yourself. Quite a while it seems.

Till next time!


	6. Chapter 5: Lilium

Chapter 5: Lilium

_Why does it always rain on sad days?_ Ruby thought as she stood in one of the courtyards of Beacon with her team by her side. Team RWBY, as well as most of the other teams, were wearing black; today was the day after Cardin died, and Ozpin insisted on holding a funeral ceremony for him. Ruby had even discarded her red cloak for the day. Everyone was standing silently, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

The doors behind them opened, and out walked team CRDN and Jaune; they were carrying Cardin on Jaune's and Pyrrha's shields. Their faces were grim, their clothes dark, and Cardin's body had been cleaned up as much as possible to make him appear to be resting peacefully. The four men marched slowly through the center aisle that parted the people in attendance and approached a large pyre in the center of the courtyard. There was no way they could give Cardin a proper burial, so they decided to send him off in flames; a funeral fit for a king, some would say.

They stopped before the pyre and set down their shields before gently raising Cardin's body to the center of what would soon be aflame. Ozpin stood before the crowd, his face somber. "It is a dark day," he began. "But this is the life that we have chosen. Risk comes with being a hunter and a huntress. I wish I could tell you that you will always survive a mission. I wish I could protect you all as though you were my own children. I cannot." He paused, taking in a deep breath. "Cardin was not an ideal student. He was brash, and often disagreeable. He was far from being a role model. But, he was a good warrior, far more intelligent than he ever let on, and he was honorable. He died for his honor; a cause worth dying for. He made a promise, and he saw to it that he would keep that promise to the very end. We should all be proud of him, and remember him as a hero."

He looked into the eyes of his students...no, not students. They were huntsmen and huntresses now. All of them were full of tears, fear, and sadness. "Would anyone else like to say a few words?" he asked finally. None approached. "Very well." Glynda stepped forward and handed him a torch. The oils that would be burning would not be extinguished by the falling rain.

He was about to place the torch onto the pyre when Yang stepped forward. "Wait!" she shouted. "Let me do it." Ozpin met her gaze and nodded sullenly, stepping back. He offered the torch to her, but she refused. She knelt in front of the pyre. "I made you promise to save Velvet," she whispered. "You kept that promise. I...I'm sorry though. I'll send you off, Cardin, with my own power." She channeled her aura into her right palm, focusing her semblance. She wasn't used to having this level of control over her flames; they were usually much more chaotic, and only controlled when she used Ember Celica. Due to the amount of concentration, she was getting tired, but finally she had it controlled enough to hold a small ball of flame in her hand.

She threw it onto the pyre, and Cardin went up in flames. She closed her eyes and let the heat wash over her, warming her from the cold rains. Weiss's voice began to reach her ears; she was singing.

_"Os iusti meditabitur sapientiam,_  
_Et lingua eius loquetur indicium._

_Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem,_  
_Quoniqm cum probates fuerit accipient coronam vitae._

_Kyrie, fons bonitatis._  
_Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison._

_O quam sancta, quam serena,_  
_Quam benigma, quam amoena esse Virgo creditur._  
_O quam sancta, quam serena,_  
_Quam benigma, quam amoena,_  
_O castitatis lilium."_

Yang didn't know the song, but it was beautiful to her ears. She tried not to cry during the ceremony, but the song pushed her over the edge as she released the tears that she had been fighting. The fire was burning high, but the only thing she could hear was Weiss's voice. Not the rain, not the crying, not even Ozpin's consolations; just the music.

* * *

Roman was laying on a couch in his room. Wasn't much of a room, really. It was a small classroom that could hold roughly twenty students, but it hadn't been used in a while. As such, he had claimed it for his living space some time ago, moving a couch and a mini fridge into the room. Here he lay, sprawled out on his couch, smoking a cigar. His coat and hat were on a nearby rack; he didn't want to go do anything today. He went to the funeral, but being what it was had left him feeling depressed.

He heard a knock on the door. Part of him wanted to yell "Fuck off!", but on the off chance that it was important, he answered, "It's open." The door opened and revealed a certain petite figure that he'd come to know. However, she was still lacking her one feature that usually stuck in Roman's mind; her favorite color.

"You okay?" Ruby asked, concerned.

"Just peachy," was his sarcastic reply. "What do you want, Red?"

"My name's not Red."

"That's not an answer to my question."

Ruby sighed. "I just wanted to check in on you. I was kind of worried."

"You're worried about _me_?" He almost wanted to laugh.

"Well, yeah. It doesn't take a perceptive person to see that you're bothered by what happened yesterday."

He wanted to lie, or say something sarcastic. He decided against it; he wasn't in the mood for toying with Ruby. "Who wouldn't be?" He looked over at her. "Lemme guess; you thought that I'd be okay with it because of who I am, right?"

Ruby looked away, as if ashamed. "I honestly don't know what I expected from you. I guess I'm just shocked that you took it this hard."

Roman sighed as his head came crashing back down to the cushion of the couch. "Have a seat," he told her, making room for her by moving his legs. Ruby nodded and sat down, and she was surprised when Roman put his legs back where they had been, only now they were on top of Ruby's legs. Before she could protest, he began talking again. "How are you feeling about it, Red?"

"I'm...I guess I'm just as shocked as everyone else. No one expected him to die."

"Not even you?"

"No. Velvet was supposed to die yesterday. Yang told me what happened. She warned Cardin about Velvet and made him promise to keep her safe."

"Tell me, Red; what would his fate have been if events had played out like they were supposed to?" he asked.

"Cardin...he would have died in the same battle that Blake and I die in. Over a year from now."

"A year, huh?" Roman stared at the ceiling. "I don't want that day to happen."

"Nothing's changed," Ruby said sadly. "Velvet lived instead of Cardin, but she'll probably die in that battle like Cardin would have."

"Does your knowledge of the future not change as conditions are altered?"

"No. It was just the one dream...I guess I should start calling it a premonition, huh?" She offered a weak smile.

"You said," Roman started. "You said that I live, right? That I witness your death?" Ruby nodded. "I'll try my best to help until then, I suppose. God only knows what's going to happen in the next year now that conditions have been altered."

"What do you mean?"

"You knew this was coming. By telling everyone before hand, you gave them at least a week's head start. I probably would still be working for Cinder right now. In your premonition I probably didn't join you for several weeks, or even months, right?" She nodded again. "Then even you don't know what's going to happen from here on out. Too much has changed already." He raised himself up and offered Ruby the cigar he was smoking. "Isn't that a good thing?"

She stared at the cigar. "I'm not doing that again," she said bluntly.

He shrugged. "More for me." He inhaled deeply. "My point is, Red, that we have to focus on the now. Worry about later when later comes." Another knock came from the door. "What?" Roman called.

Sun entered and paused, seeing the position that Roman was seated with his legs draped over Ruby's. "Am I...interrupting something?"

"Not quite. Bit too young for me. What's up?" Ruby blushed, and a slight wave of anger and frustration washed over her.

Sun nodded. "I'm ready to learn how to fly."

Roman stood and donned his coat and hat. "I'll talk to you later, Red. We've got work to do." The two men left the room and closed the door, leaving Ruby alone.

She shook her head in frustration. "I swear, conversations with that man give me a headache!" she exclaimed.

* * *

Heavy grunts and gasps for air echoed throughout Beacon's gym. It was empty with the exception of Yang sparring with a punching bag. Her mind was clear, focusing on nothing but the bag of sand that hung before her as her fists collided into it at full force. She wasn't wearing sparring gloves, and had torn skin off of her knuckles in the process; the white punching bag was quickly getting stained with small blotches of blood with every impact.

This is why she came here; to forget about Cardin and his funeral. However, his face would come into her mind every time she took a break to catch her breath; as such, her breaks started becoming far and few in between. She never liked Cardin, and she could even argue that she hated him, but she wasn't a monster. No matter how much she disliked someone, she never liked the concept of wishing true ill upon someone, let alone death. Even Roman, who had once shot her little sister, was not the subject of such whims and wishes from Yang. Granted, she did want to pummel him and break his face, but she would never put his life at risk.

She tried to reason that Velvet was an innocent soul and that she of all people deserved life, but she couldn't justify trading one life for another in her mind. It seemed as though fate had intended that one should live and one should die; Yang only altered the roles that the two lives would play, thus changing who lived and who died. In her mind, no one should have that much influence.

Yang continued to punch away at the sandbag, her knuckles dripping more and more blood, when she heard a frightened gasp. "Yang!" cried the voice of Blake, who had just entered the gym. She was most likely searching for Yang. "Yang, stop!" she yelled as she ran over and forcibly grabbed Yang's arms.

"No!" Yang protested. "I need this!" Even though she verbally argued against Blake, she was far too exhausted to really fight back.

"Yang, you're hurting yourself," Blake voiced calmly, carefully pulling Yang to a nearby bench. She forced Yang to sit down, who found that upon finding rest her legs refused to let her stand up. Blake gave Yang a sad, sympathetic look. "Let me see these." She gently grabbed Yang's hands and looked over her partner's wounds. She sighed and walked over to a nearby first aid station that hung on the wall before returning with a box of disinfectant and bandages.

"Don't-"

"Shut up," Blake said sternly. "If you aren't going to act like the big sister you are, then I will. You need to clean these wounds up, or you're going to develop an infection in your knuckles." Without saying another word, Blake quickly cleaned Yang's hands and wrapped half of her hand and fingers in bandages. Fastening the last bandage, Blake finally smiled. "There, all better." She looked up to see Yang's sad face.

"It's all my fault," Yang whispered.

"Yang, don't do this."

"It's all my fault, Blake. If Ruby hadn't told me what was going to happen I'd have been oblivious to it. Velvet would have died and we'd all be sad, but we'd know that she died a noble death. Cardin died because I told him about it. He took my words, promised to protect Velvet at all costs, and died fulfilling the promise he made to me."

"Yang."

"I've never felt so awful in all my life. Not even when mom died. I felt horrible then, but I knew that it wasn't my fault. I'm guilty for Cardin's death."

"Yang," Blake repeated.

"There's nothing I can do to atone for what I've done." Yang was about to go on, but Blake slapped her face, causing her head to jerk to the right.

She turned to look at Blake, who was now in tears. "You be quiet right this instant, young lady!" she said, forcing an angry tone. "This is not your fault!"

"But I told him-"

"That Velvet would die. He was reckless, afraid that he would break his promise and wasn't willing to risk Velvet for an instant. He may have hated her, but he refuses to break a promise, Yang. He may have been too reckless about it, but he died fighting for his beliefs, and he died a hero. The only thing you are guilty of is regretting his death rather than honor him." Blake grabbed Yang's wrist. "What you're doing right now is self destructive. How do you think your sister would feel is she saw you right now?"

Yang looked away, feeling ashamed. "She's a team leader now. She's stronger than she looks."

"And she's weaker than you give her credit for. As team leader, she's _supposed_ to be strong, Yang." The blonde brawler had to meet Blake's gaze again. "Deep down, I know she's still a scared little girl who's facing her worst nightmare."

"Blake...I..."

"Yang, I know how you feel. I'm a faunus! I've experienced pain and loss; some were family, others acquaintances I barely knew, but the loss was no less severe or less real. Right now, you need to accept what has been done, and put it away. Lock it down deep inside your heart."

Yang was appalled. "Are you telling me to _forget_ about it?"

"No! Never forget, Yang!" Blake replied sternly. "Always remember those who we've lost, but don't let them distract you." Blake inhaled deeply to help herself calm down; it had the added effect of helping Yang calm down. "Ruby may be good at pretending to be strong, but she still needs her big sister's support. She may not say it, but she looks up to you like a mother at times."

"M-mother?"

Blake nodded. "She needs you to be strong, Yang. Or else her own strength will diminish and fade...and the rest of team RWBY will fade with her."

Yang stared at her bandaged fingers. Images of Ruby as a young, little girl flashed through her head, and she remembered how she supported her frantic and distraught sister after their mother died. She looked back at Blake, who was now smiling at her. Yang could only smile back and nod. She had a baby sister to support, and she felt silly for forgetting, even if only for a moment.

* * *

Ruby stood watch on the wall, deciding that she would be the only member of her team to do so on this day. She watched the woods worriedly as the sounds of Grimm continued to echo between the trees. Somewhere in there is the corpse of the Ursa that killed Cardin, and there were hundreds more to take its place, unlike Beacon, which had a finite number of huntsmen and huntresses. The rain continued to pour, but Ruby was wearing her cloak now to protect herself from the elements.

Ruby was so focused on her watch duty that she didn't notice Weiss approach her until she felt the heiress's finger tap her shoulder. "Hm?" Ruby asked.

Weiss was wearing her usual attire, with the addition of a white coat to protect against the cold that the rain brought, and she was carrying a plastic bag and an umbrella. "You've been out here for a few hours. I thought I'd bring you something to eat," Weiss explained softly.

Ruby nodded a thank you and accepted the plastic bag. Weiss stood with her, driving the rain away with her umbrella as Ruby rummaged through the bag, producing a can of coffee and a ham sandwich. It wasn't much, but Ruby was thankful that Weiss had thought to bring her this much.

She began to nibble at the sandwich when Weiss spoke up. "That sound...it's horrifying."

Ruby turned to face the forest. "It gets worse," she added. "Much worse."

"I don't like the sound of that." Weiss sighed. "But as long as we have hope, we can outlast it, I'm sure."

That comment made Ruby consider something; something she hadn't thought since her mother died. "Weiss, do you think that Cardin is somewhere else right now?"

Weiss turned to Ruby. "What do you mean?"

"Do you think...that there's a life after death in some form. Is there a heaven we can go to after we die?"

Weiss smiled weakly. "I like to think so. To believe otherwise, to me, is terrifying. I don't like the thought of not existing. If my spirit lingers in another realm, then I still exist somewhere. That's what I like to think."

"I've always questioned it," Ruby added. "My mother died when I was young, and I never knew if I would get to see her again or not. And now Cardin is dead, and everyone seems to think that yesterday was the last time anyone will ever see him." She looked down, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "I'm scared to die, Weiss. I know it's coming for me. It's coming for all of team RWBY. I don't want that."

Weiss hugged Ruby from behind. "Thanks to your knowledge, Ruby, we have a chance at life. And even if we do die, don't think of it as if it is entirely terrible. Should we all perish, we'll be able to meet each other on the other side. You'll get to see your mother again, too."

Ruby began to cry more. "You really believe that?"

Weiss nodded. "With all my heart, Ruby." The rains kept pouring down throughout the night, and each member of team RWBY felt that their resolve had strengthened. Cardin may have died, but his death didn't weaken them; it seemed to now make them all stronger. The huntsmen and huntresses of Beacon would see the Grimm start to openly move in the coming weeks, but they were ready to raise hell against the dark monsters.

Unfortunately, so were the Grimm, who seemed to bring Hell with them.

* * *

_Song: Lilium_

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

My apologies on the wait time. I went dark on Thursday (April 17) and left for a convention. Got home yesterday and had to go straight to bed because I started working my job at the Street Dept. again today (April 21). So happy to be working again. I should be in bed right now, but I had to finish this chapter. I would like to point out that I didn't label the artist of Lilium because I don't know who wrote it. I'm certain (could be wrong) that it's a REALLY old song, but I first heard it in the anime Elfen Lied. Look into it.

So, a little but of necessary filler with a semi-cliffhanger ending...why do I love cliffhangers so fucking much? I write them all the time! I would like to point out that I love writing for Roman, and I picture him casually how I myself act casually; legs stretched over a couch, and even if someone sits down next to me I just put my legs on top of them.

Fun fact: I had a scare today! Most people who know me know that I have a phobia of snakes. Very strong and deep seated. I move my dad's car today, and when I opened the door to get out a fucking snake fell out of the door and onto the ground. I have no shame in admitting that I screamed like a bitch and slammed the door to keep the snake away from me. I don't know how the snake got wedged between the door and the rest of the car in the first place, but I swore to my father that until he can insure that there are no snakes in or around that vehicle that I will never, ever drive it again. I. Hate. Snakes.

Till next time! (Still don't want to be lynched.)


	7. Chapter 6: Remnants

Chapter 6: Remnants

Smoke covered the city of Vale. Thankfully, most of the civilians had evacuated to Fort Stein, so casualties were low, but the city still echoed of ghosts that weren't there; it was an empty shell of its former glory. Like a page straight from a horror story, the streets were empty and devoid of natural life, save for the skulking Grimm that lurked about, hunting for anything or anyone to feast upon.

It was here in the streets of Vale that Ren found himself. Separated from the rest of team JNPR, he remained stoic and cool during his trying ordeal. Jaune and Pyrrha were nearby, as they had holed up in a nearby department store to wait for Ren and Nora to return. Nora was also nearby. Their separation was unintentional, but worked out in the end; the two friends had found separate sources of what they came for.

Food and water was hidden all over Vale where the people had just abandoned it in their frenzy to evacuate. Beacon wasn't terribly low on the necessities, but it was always a good idea to stock up every so often to make sure that you never ran out. Team JNPR volunteered for the job, as well as team LNER and the remnants of team CRDL.

A crackling noise came over Ren's headset, causing him to wince in discomfort. "LNER and CRDL are out of the city; SMMR returning to dust off JNPR. Be ready, kiddos!" said the voice of Roman Torchwick. While many people didn't like Roman, Ren had to respect him in the sense that Roman was able to maintain a very strong and calming attitude during these trying days. Sure, he was a jerk, and 'calming' would usually the last adjective one would use to describe him, but it seemed like he was one of the few people who could still act like himself in the face of this cataclysm. Cynical, sarcastic, and narcissistic, but still interesting, sociable, and intelligent.

"You heard him, guys," Jaune said over the radio next. "Get to the extraction zone immediately. We'll meet you there. Ren, Nora, you catch that?"

"Yeah~!" Nora cheered next, causing Ren's ear to ache. "On my way!"

"I'll be there," was all Ren said. Storm Flower at the ready, Ren began to carefully make his way to the extraction point; the very rooftop where Ruby and Roman had first fought. It was far too quiet to Ren's liking, which is impressive considering how quiet he usually was. Perhaps he was used to Nora's incessant babbling, or Jaune's constant inquisitions for assistance from whoever was willing? No, that couldn't be it. Those noises were always nice, but he enjoyed quiet from them at times. No, this silence wasn't a lack of Nora or anyone else in particular; it was a lack of _everything_. Even the electrical hum of streetlights was absent due to the fact that it was mid day.

In short, Ren found total and complete silence to be quite disturbing. He glanced up into the blue sky and saw the source of the nightmare that resided all around him; the black comet. Many people from beacon had called it different things; Black Rose because Ruby 'discovered' it, Darkstar because it was very bright in spite of its black color, and even Grimm's Comet, but Ren only called it one thing. Ruby never felt the need to name it, but she knew what it was just as much as he did; it was a messenger of destruction, a prophet of death, and a courier of fate. Ren called it Harbinger.

Ren looked up upon hearing the sound of jet engines; Roman's Bullhead flew over his head as it raced towards to extraction point. _Time to hurry_, he thought. Storm Flower in his hands, he began to run after the drop ship. He overlooked the group of Grimm that spotted him as he ran, and they gave chase.

* * *

Minutes later, Roman touched down, waiting "patiently" for the two teams to arrive. Team LNER had already arrived and were waiting in the Bullhead, and three of the members of team JNPR were walking towards to drop ship. "Where's Ren?" Nora asked.

"He said he was on his way," Jaune replied, sounding unsure.

"I hope he's okay," Pyrrha added. "Maybe we should go look for him?"

The sound of gunfire drew their attention. "I think you found him," Roman said sarcastically. The three members of team JNPR turned towards the sound and saw Ren running as fast as he could, firing Storm Flower behind himself at the Beowolves and Ursa that chased him.

"Ren!" Nora exclaimed. She drew Magnhild in hammer form and raced to help her friend.

"Nora, get back!" Ren exclaimed, discharging his firearms in rapid succession. She ignored him and swung viciously at her foes, killing two Beowolves in a single swing. An Ursa took a swipe at Nora, who couldn't move her hammer fast enough to block. Frantic, Ren stepped in front of the claws and blocked with his weapons; the left pistol shattered, shocking himself and Nora.

He tossed the remains of the weapon to the ground; it was useless and beyond repair. With his now free left hand he grabbed Nora and evaded the Ursa's next attack and raced to the Bullhead. "C'mon!" Sun exclaimed as he hung out of the door and forced all of team JNPR into the aircraft. "Let's go, Torch!"

"Got it!" Roman replied, immediately taking off.

The teams were safe in the air, heading back to Beacon. "Ren," Nora said sadly. "Your gun."

Ren nodded, looking down at his remaining pistol. "Gun's can be replaced, Nora," he said after a long pause. "You can't be." For the first time that Nora could ever recall, Ren initiated a hug. "You're more valuable than Storm Flower."

Nora felt tears well up in her eyes as she returned the hug. "You're valuable to me too, Ren."

"Good God, just kiss already!" Roman yelled from the cockpit.

Sun laughed. "Way to ruin the mood," he said.

"Honestly," Roman whispered. "This a drop ship, not a love boat."

* * *

Ruby stood on the rooftop of her dorm, overlooking the work taking place below. By her recollection, several others should have died by now; Cardin was still Beacon's only casualty. She decided that Roman must have been right; by telling everyone her dream she had changed the many outcomes that she thought may have been predetermined. The number of survivors gave her confidence and strength in herself and those around her; they were going to outlast this cataclysm.

Below in the courtyards between the buildings, her fellow huntsmen and huntresses scurried about, organizing supplies, heading out or returning from recon missions, and helping anyone who may be wounded. She could see some of the watchers on the wall around the school as well, and she was beginning to notice that the Grimm's howling wasn't coming from the Emerald Forest anymore. It seemed as though most of the Grimm had moved on, or had made their abode in the ghost town that was Vale.

Though, in spite of the incredible survival rate that was being displayed, Ruby still felt sadened by the events that had transpired. Smoke constantly rose from somewhere in Vale; likely where fires had been set either intentionally or accidentally in a panic to escape the Grimm. The black comet still dominated the sky, casting a shadow over the world in the light of day. If her memory of the dream was correct, it would pass out of Remnant's view in another week or so, but the Grimm menace would stay. The comet had given them strength and numbers, and there wasn't much to eliminate their numbers at this point. As long as the Grimm population outnumbered humanity like it was currently, the human race would be at a constant disadvantage.

A Bullhead came into Ruby's view; Roman's. _I guess they're back_, she thought. She stayed a few minutes longer to make sure that her friends from JNPR and LNER had made it back in one piece; thankfully, no one seemed to be hurt. Although, she did notice that Nora had her arm locked around Ren's. Not a terribly strange sight, per se, but interesting all the same. It actually made Ruby smile. She looked at her scroll to check the time. "I guess it's dinner time."

* * *

"No, you idiot! That goes over to that pile with the rest of the canned food. It goes into storage! Perishables go to the kitchen to be eaten as soon as possible!" Weiss exclaimed wildly as she directed the traffic of supplies throughout the courtyard. "Honestly, do you want frozen meat to sit for longer than it already has? We'll be lucky if it's still edible at all right now!"

"You look to be having fun," said a girl's voice. Weiss turned to adress whomever it was. She saw a girl about her age with short black hair, a blue coat, and a gunblade strapped across her back. Weiss didn't remember her name, but she knew that she was the leader of team LNER.

"May I help you, er..."

"Luna," she finished for Weiss. "I just wanted to tell you that we brought some stuff back from Vale that's still on the Bullhead."

"Oh. Well, thank you, Luna. I'll send someone to pack it away immediatly." She pointed at a young man. "You! Get the supplies recovered by team LNER right away!"

He nodded and booked it to the Bullhead; Weiss as a supervisor was rough, hard, and efficient. No doubt this was a trait she picked up from her family. Luna laughed quietly. "Also, I wanted to tell you that I think you're doing a fantastic job."

This confused Weiss. "Well, thank you, but why feel the need to tell me so?"

"It's a tough job, managing others. I feel like I can barely lead my three team mates at times. I love them well enough, but it's a stressful job. Yet, look at you. You're not even a team leader, but you're doing an amazing job of organizing everyone here."

Weiss smiled. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I kind of feel bad that I used to want Ruby to relinquish her leadership to me, but that was before I knew how stressful it could be. Now, I just want to make things easier on her."

Luna laughed. "That's the way teams should be." She gave a polite bow. "Have a nice day, Weiss."

"You too," the heiress replied as Luna walked away. She sighed. "Back to work, I suppose."

* * *

Sun stood awkwardly in the courtyard. Sitting on a nearby bench, taking a break from the day's hard work, was Melanie and Militia. The three of them had been working together for a couple of weeks at this point, and Sun didn't like working with people he knew nothing about. However, he didn't dislike the twins at all; he was just wasn't privy to any information about them. He intended to change that.

He just didn't know how.

Up until now, team SMMR had been swamped with work; maintaining constant contact with any recon teams, extracting those that were injured, and transporting supplies was hard work; harder work than Sun ever could have imagined, even. Even today, in spite of how little he did physically on the Bullhead, the chaos around him and the unpredictable nature of the missions made him break into sweat and become dehydrated; just as if he'd done hours upon hours of manual labor. He did notice that the twins seemed to react the same way, and this gave him an idea.

He ran over to a nearby cooler that was being used by the supply movers and grabbed three bottles of water. He calmly and briskly approached the Malachite sisters. "Hey," he greeted casually, his dry throat causing his voice to crack. "You two want some water?"

Militia seemed hesitant, but Melanie nodded immediately and gratefully accepted two of the bottles. She opened one for her sister first before opening her own, and both sisters happily drank. "Thank you, Sun," Melanie said.

He nodded, unable to speak due to having a mouthful of cold, crystal clear water. He inhaled deeply after swallowing. "Don't mention it," he finally answered. He motioned at the bench. "Room for one more?" Melanie scooted over some to bridge a small gap between herself and her sister, opening up a space for Sun to sit. "Thanks."

He seated himself, careful not to bump into the sisters. "You know, we haven't really talked since we first met, have we?"

Sun shook his head. "Too busy to stop and talk. The Bullhead team is nothing but work, work, work. Barely had enough free time to start learning how to fly the damn thing myself." Sun looked at the two sisters and flashed them a million lien smile. "Seems like now's a good time to catch up, eh?"

Militia bashfully returned the smile, but made no comment. Melanie nodded. "I don't see why not."

"Alright! I've got a question; why did you guys look like you were going to kill me when we first met?"

Melanie laughed. "We saw a faunus running towards us with no plausible reason. Mind you, we aren't like...some _other_ people out there who automatically assume that all faunus are criminals, but it's kind of hard to picture one as anything else when they're in a full sprint in our direction." She paused. "No offense."

This made Sun laugh. "None taken. I wasn't exactly a law abiding citizen before all of this anyway. I mean, I wasn't _Roman_, but I did steal food and money whenever I needed it. And I only ever took what I needed. I'm not greedy." He looked between the two sisters. "How about you? What was life like before the Grimm?" His eyes focused on Militia, expecting her to add to the conversation.

"Don't mind her," Melanie added. "She's just a little shy at first. She'll open up in a little while."

"Oh. Well, that's fine."

"Right. Now, about what we did before all of this..."

* * *

Ruby had returned to standing upon the rooftop after she had eaten. She had no real reason to be up there, but she felt that the gentle breeze felt nice this high up. She liked the view all around her, and the sound of her comrades working below. It gave her a sense of peacefulness in the midst of the nightmare that was closing in around them.

"Hey, Red," came the voice of Roman.

Ruby sighed, her mood almost ruined by that nickname. _Almost_. "That's not my name, Roman," she replied.

She turned to see Roman laugh. "You'll always be Red to me. Or would you rather have me start to call you 'Little Girl', or something else of that sort?" She was about to retaliate when Roman threw a box at her. "There. A present from me to you."

She caught the box and looked at it; packaged cookies. Ruby smiled. "When did you become so sweet?"

Roman would have denied it if Ruby had pointed it out, but he felt his face grow warm. "I figured it was the least I could do. So many people are alive right now thanks to your vision. I know I'm not usually one to really care about others, but without them I wouldn't survive either."

"That's almost a compliment when you say it, Roman." She dropped her smile and looked back down at the courtyard. "So, what happened out there today?"

Roman nodded. He knew that she was going to ask about earlier that day. "Team LNER completed their sweep and returned for extraction. JNPR was split up and were trying to regroup. Ren was attacked and chased by Grimm all the way back to the Bullhead. Nora tried to help him and needlessly put herself into harm's way; Ren could have been seriously hurt by doing what he did."

"What happened?" she asked again.

He hesitated. "Nora was reckless. She was wide open to be flayed by an Ursa. Ren blocked the Ursa with his weapons; one of them was completely destroyed."

Ruby nodded. "So, Ren is down to one gun. That's gonna put him at a disadvantage."

"I'm sure he can build another. We have the parts and the tools lying around now, after all." Roman sighed. "Why are you so worried about them? They all know what was going to happen, and they've changed accordingly to avoid that fate."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Ruby answered. "Now I don't know what's going to happen fully. There are bits here and there that I'm sure will stay somewhat similar to before, but there is now so much that I don't know because of the changes."

"Isn't that a good thing? I mean, I can see how it _wouldn't_ be good, but on the other hand, you've saved countless lives already. How many more were supposed to die before today?"

Ruby looked to the ground in though. "I...I don't know. I never counted."

"How many have died since Cardin?"

"None."

"Then that's a win in my book. And we're still winning." Roman smiled. "Lighten up, Red. We're gonna make it through this."

Ruby turned and met his gaze "What if things start to go back to the way they were supposed to be? What if everyone dies anyway?"

Roman's smile faded. "Remember how you asked if it was possible for us to be friends?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Here's my new answer to that question, Red; if things go south, and everyone that has been saved dies anyway, then I hope you're little prophecy about me surviving doesn't come true."

Ruby's eyes went wide. "W-what?"

"I...I can't believe I'm saying this, but I've come to like some of these people. I've come to trust them. I've come to trust _you_. I would rather die than lose all of that."

Ruby began to tear up. Out of all of the people she knew, Roman was the _last_ person she ever expected to say something so profound. He sighed. "Come here," he said, almost irritated. Ruby, unsure, complied and approached him and was unexpectedly grabbed in a tight embrace; he was hugging her. "You breathe a word of this to anyone, and big sister will hear all about your underage tobacco habit. Got it, Red?"

Ruby laughed. "You practically forced me to smoke that cigar." She paused, trying to fight back her smile. "How many times do I have to tell you that my name isn't Red?"

"Remind me all you like," he teased. "I'm never gonna stop."

_What an irritating...friend_, she thought.

* * *

Yang, like Weiss, was helping in the courtyard for most of the day. While Weiss was taking care of the organizational duties, Yang was far more partial to partaking in the heavy lifting side of things. She may appear to be a delicate beauty to those who didn't know her, but she was just as strong as her fighting style implied.

It was now, after hours of exhausting manual labor, that she was finally able to take a break and sit down. She sighed loudly in contentment upon sitting down on the nearby bench. Weiss approached and sat down next to her team mate with a bottle of cold water in hand. She sipped from it and offered it to Yang. "Thanks, princess," Yang said gratefully, drinking happily from the water bottle.

Weiss smiled. "Anytime." She looked around. "I'm glad you were helping move the supplies. It would have been a nightmare otherwise."

"Aw, don't be like that. Everyone involved did a good job."

"Maybe, but you were the most efficient."

Yang shrugged. "I just wanted to get it done right, and get it done fast. I'd rather be maintaining Ember Celica right now. Haven't cleaned it since our last recon, and if I don't keep it clean it could jam on me."

Weiss nodded. "I agree, actually. If Myrtenaster isn't polished regularly, it could get covered in rust. That would compromise the integrity of the sword, and it'd likely break in half."

Howls erupted from the city of Vale, causing Weiss and Yang to look in the city's direction. "When's the next recon?"

Weiss pulled out her scroll. Ozpin had posted all of the current recon team listings where all of the students could access them via their scrolls. "Teams VLVT, HOLY, ARCR (Archer), and LNER are set to go into the city tomorrow morning to gauge the number of Grimm in the Industrial and Market districts."

"Is...is anyone going to recon the forest?"

"No one is scheduled to do so right now. We know that the majority of the Grimm have migrated to the city in search of food, so the forest must be relatively empty right now."

Yang turned her gaze to the Emerald Forest, her face masked with unease. "I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about it."

Weiss looked at her with confusion before following her gaze. "How so?"

"It's...it's like the calm before the storm, you know? Everything feels fine, but then the sky gets darker and you get that sinking feeling in your gut."

"You've got that sinking feeling?"

"Yeah," Yang answered quietly. "And I don't like it." _I...I have a terrible feeling about that forest_, she thought, repeating mentally what she had already told Weiss. "We need to know what's really in there."

Weiss continued to stare at the forest. "I...I think you may be right. I mean, I'm _sure_ that most of the Grimm have left it...but it can't be a bad idea to make sure."

Yang nodded. "If you see Ruby, tell her I went to see Ozpin." She stood up, returned Weiss's water to her half empty, and strolled towards the building that Ozpin made his office in.

* * *

Ozpin had tried to keep his appearance neat and clean these last few days, but the importance of maintaining the huntsmen and huntresses by reviewing all of their reports had become a much greater cause. He still kept clean, of course, but his five o'clock shadow was now very prominent, and his hair seemed somewhat unkempt; he'd been staying up late to finish whatever work he had.

He smiled. "We have enough supplies to fuel an army for over a year, and we have much less than an average army. It's almost time for humanity's first real counter attack." A knock came from his door. "Enter!" he called.

Yang entered. "Sorry for intruding, sir," she said politely.

"Not at all, Ms. Xiao Long. How may I help you?"

"Sir...I understand that I'm not the leader of my team, nor do I want to be the leader of team RWBY, but I have a request to make."

He arched an eyebrow in interest. "Oh?"

Yang nodded. "Most of us think that the Grimm have almost completely migrated to the City of Vale, and the forest has been silent as the grave for a while now. I...I don't like it."

Ozpin smiled. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who's been 'paranoid' about that. Grimm may be monsters, but they aren't stupid. They know that we're here, and they're seemingly abandoning their haven for the city...I never thought that it made any sense for all of them to have moved."

"I agree. I think we should recon the Emerald Forest and go as deep as we can to see if the Grimm have truly left the forest, or if some are hiding."

"And your request?" Ozpin inquired.

"I think team RWBY should do it. We're all quick, and we're all strong; Ruby especially so."

Ozpin sighed. He walked around his desk and placed a hand on Yang's shoulder. "You remember, right? Those were almost the same words that Cardin spoke to me the day he died. At least, it was the very same request he made."

Yang winced at the memory of Cardin. "I...I know, sir."

"Are you perhaps doing this not only for those of us who need to know what's out there, but also for Cardin's sake? Are you wanting to exact some form of revenge?"

"I..." Yang doubted her own ability to answer for a moment. "That's not my primary goal, professor...but if I can send as many of those monsters to hell as I can, then it'll be a bonus."

Ozpin felt impressed to an extent. "Send them to hell?" he asked.

Yang nodded. "After all, my semblance is fire. I'm the only one who truly knows what it means to burn! That makes me the perfect escort for those monsters. With my guidance, they'll find the gates of hell in no time at all." She felt her aura flare and the room grow warmer. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "But as I said, that's not my primary goal. My first thoughts go to our fellow teams, teachers, and such. We need to know what's out there."

Ozpin smiled. He picked up a scroll and tapped away at it. "Do apologize to Ruby for volunteering your team in her stead. Team RWBY is scheduled to recon the Emerald Forest the day after tomorrow. Be ready, Ms. Xiao Long."

"Yes, sir!" She thanked him and left, prepared to tell the news to her sister and her friends. Yang felt that things were about to get more interesting; for better or for worse, and she didn't know which.

* * *

_Songs: Remnant__s_ and _Asylum - Disturbed_

**Author's Notes**

Oh man! Oh man, oh man, oh MAN! I am getting closer and closer to one of the chapters that I've been oh so looking forward to writing! It won't be the next chapter, but it should be the one after it. There are so many things that I want to tell you guys! Oh, you have NO idea how badly I wish I could just _tell_ you how this story will flow from here. Alas, I must abide by the rules of literature, and make you wait to read it yourself.

In regards to this chapter, it's more filler; I wish I could make each chapter an action packed plot developer, but we've got to have some breathing space in between those moments. Like a fine wine, we've got to let it breath from time to time, you know?

Also, I apologize for taking so long with writing this one. I would have finished days ago, but like I said in the previous chapter, I'm no longer unemployed and I'm working for my town's Street Department again. Speaking of which, it's time for another...

Fun Fact: It never stopped raining in my town today! I spent all day unclogging storm drains with a shovel while the sky pissed on me. I was soaking wet by the time I got home...and yet, I love my job.

Till next time!


	8. Chapter 7: We're In This Together

Chapter 7: We're In This Together

While Yang was returning to her dorm to tell the remainder of her team the news, Ruby received a message from Ozpin through her scroll, urging her to see him immediately. She had been talking and joking with Torchwick for the better part of a half hour, and now she parted ways with him to see her superior. She had seen Ozpin on a regular basis lately during team leader meetings, and she noticed that he was becoming fatigued. She hoped that he may have returned to taking better care of himself and that he wasn't overworking himself like he was wont to do.

She made her way to his office and knocked. "Come in," came his calm, nerve calming voice. Ruby entered and was somewhat saddened to see that his hair was still unkempt and that his stubble hadn't been shave. She had to admit silently, however, that if he cleaned up his hair and maintained the scruffy look he'd be more handsome than he was before. She paused on that thought and silently locked it away, feeling somewhat strange having thought such a thing about her former instructor. "Hello, Ms. Rose. It's nice to see you again."

She nodded. "You wanted to see me, Professor?"

"Yes. Would you please have a seat? I have something I would like to discuss with you." She nodded again and did as she was told. "Did you run into your sister on your way here?"

"No. Why?"

"Good. I wanted to tell you before she did; she made a request involving your team's assignment, and I approved it. I do apologize for not coming to you, as the leader of team RWBY, but I felt that the end result would have been the same."

Ruby was confused. "What did she ask for?"

"She suggested that team RWBY be sent on a recon mission to the Emerald Forest to investigate the possibility that the Grimm may still have a hideaway within the forest."

Ruby felt her chest tighten. _Didn't this happen before? In the dream?_ "What's today's date?" Ozpin handed her a small pocket sized calendar and pointed at the date. Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. _That particular event didn't happen for another four months._ "Thank you." She returned the calander.

Ozpin took it, but raised an eyebrow. "This mission lines up with your premonition, I presume?"

"No, thankfully. What I thought this was doesn't happen for a while yet. There's still time to avoid it."

"Good," Ozpin answered. "I wanted to know if you already knew about this mission, and if you knew the outcome. Do you?"

She shook her head. "No. We never bothered to check the Emerald Forest after they moved to Vale. We did return eventually, but only after we saw them migrating back."

"I see. Did you ever find out why they returned?" She shook her head again, keeping the mission's outcome to herself.

_There's plenty of time between now and then. I can still save her._ Ruby silently prayed that she would have the strength to change the outcome. "When do we leave for this recon mission?"

"The day after tomorrow." Ozpin looked over to a nearby shelf; the clock he fixed in Ruby's presence ticked away. "It is getting late, Ms. Rose. I do hope you aren't too upset at your sister. Ms. Xiao Long was only doing what she thought was for the best."

"Not at all. I'm not all that upset," she smiled. "I _would_ have liked it if she had consulted me first, but we'll be ready. What should we do tomorrow?"

"Rest," he answered. "With or without Grimm, the Emerald Forest is very big, and very tiresome. I'd hate to see your team go in at anything less than full strength." Ruby nodded and stood to leave. "One more thing, Ms. Rose."

"Hm?"

He looked at her grimly. "Your sister is very strong, both of mind and body, but even she has her faults. Her heart is in the right place, but don't let her do anything too reckless. We need all of you to come back to us unharmed."

She nodded quietly, choosing not to verbally respond, before turning on her heel and leaving Ozpin's office.

* * *

"You think Ruby's gonna be mad at me?" Yang asked somewhat sadly. The walk to her dorm made her think back on her decision to ask Ozpin for a recon mission, and she realized partway back that she didn't have the right to make such a decision without her leader's approval. That very same leader is her little sister, whom she cherished more than anything else in the world, and she didn't want to receive her wrath. Not because Ruby was terribly frightening or anything when angered, but it would be emotionally damaging to Yang to have her little sister be well and truly angry.

"Yang, this is _Ruby_ we're talking about. She doesn't get that angry at anybody," Blake reasoned.

"Yeah," Weiss agreed before she paused in thought. "Except for the time that she got mad at me and cut a tree down with Crescent Rose." The two other girls slowly turned to face Weiss.

"W-what did you do to make her do that?" Yang asked, surprised.

"It was around the time when we first met." 'Oh' and 'That makes sense' came from Blake and Yang simultaneously. Weiss blushed. "I suppose I was a _little_ unreasonable at the time."

"A little?" Blake teased.

"Watch it, cat lady."

"Hey! No fighting! We're supposed to be worried about me over here, not whether or not the princess was a raging bitch when we first met her!" Yang interrupted.

"A raging _what_? I'll have you know that...that I choose to ignore that statement and refuse to comment." Weiss pouted in a way, causing Blake to silently chuckle. "In all seriousness," the heiress added. "You shouldn't worry. Ruby will forgive you instantly, I'm sure." The door slowly opened. "Ah, and here we shall see what happens."

Ruby stepped into the room. "Hey girls," she greeted casually. She looked over to Yang and gave her an exaggerated pouting face. "If you want to go on a mission, would it really be such a bad thing if you ask me for permission first?" Yang was about to apologize for her actions, but Ruby silenced her with a smile. "Our orders are to rest up tomorrow and leave out the day after! I expect nothing but the best from team RWBY! Understood?"

Weiss smiled and crossed her arms, standing proudly. "But of course."

Blake gave a light smile and nodded slightly. "Understood," she said.

Yang gave a sigh of relief; her sister wasn't angry with her in the slightest, and that made her happy. "Understood," she replied.

"Alright! Everybody to bed! If we're going to be resting tomorrow, then I want a head start on it tonight!"

* * *

The city echoed with howls as night blanketed Vale in its fluid shadow, allowing the horrors within to seemingly cast shadows upon darkness itself. Beacon, less than five miles away from the city, sat on its cliff side precipice in pseudo peace, the instructors and former students keeping watch or resting as they waited for their darkest fears to either pass on without a trace, or to find them at their weakest moments. The guests of Beacon, neither instructor nor student, rested in relative calmness throughout the night, ignoring the sound of death and damnation that was seemingly upon their doorstep.

Except for Roman.

Once more laying upon his couch within his makeshift room, he stared at the dark ceiling above him. Hat and coat resting upon the nearby rack, shoes laying haphazardly in the floor, and his cane leaning against the wall were his only companions as his mind wandered into places he'd rather it stayed away from. _What if? _he kept thinking. What if the Grimm attacked now? What if nothing happened? What if this had never occurred? What if he didn't believe Ruby? What if he'd been fast enough to save Cardin before he bled to death? What if? What if? What if?

Different variations using the same question haunted him, and he didn't understand why. He had high hopes for the coming months. He already congratulated Ruby for saving so many lives, which he believed shifted the difference between success and failure for all of them. Even if the percentage of coming out on top was below One-Percent, but still above Zero, then he would have hope. That's just how much of a change he believed Ruby's premonition caused.

And yet, his very soul was riddled with doubts, fears, and constant worry. He looked over to the clock that hung on the wall; just after midnight. He sighed. "I'll never get any fucking sleep at this rate." He stood and donned his shoes and coat; he didn't need his hat for a walk. He grabbed his cane just to be safe, and left his room.

Beacon's campus, he realized, looked completely different once the sun set. What looked like a safe, pleasant school environment in the light of day, looked like a scene from the most frightening horror movie in the cover of night. The moon in the sky was shattering in its regular cycle as it should have been, and the weather felt normal for this time of year, but the lingering darkness accompanied by the howls of the Grimm made the already deep pit in Roman's stomach fall even deeper.

His gaze shifted to the general direction of the City of Vale, staring into the blackness of night. He breathed deeply, trying to calm his nerves. "What am I so fucking worried about?"

* * *

Morning came too soon for some, and not soon enough for others. Militia Malachite, the younger of the twins, ate her breakfast silently and alone. Her sister, Melanie, wasn't a morning person like she was, and as such was still sleeping in their shared room. Militia didn't mind, really. Every waking second the sister's experienced was spent together, so breakfast was one of the few moments where they were separate for any period of time. Such is the life of inseparable twins.

These rare moments were fascinating to Militia. It gave her some time to herself to think and ponder. Often she would wonder about what her twin might be thinking in those same moments, or how the two could be so different even though they were born at the same time and look the exact same. She would think about where she would be in life were it not for her older sister taking charge all the time, or about what kind of job she would have if Junior hadn't hired them to be bouncers. With her timid nature, she wondered what kind of occupation would suit her best. Maybe she could run a bookstore? Or maybe work from home somehow? Her body used muscle memory to eat her breakfast since her mind was miles and miles away.

She was startled, of course, when Sun quickly and loudly sat himself in front of her with a tray of food. "Good morning," he greeted, followed by a quick apology. "I, uh, didn't mean to scare you."

Militia, being shy as she was, couldn't meet Sun's eyes as she replied. "No, it's alright. I was spacing out." She blushed slightly from embarrassment. "W-what are you doing up at this hour?"

Sun shrugged. "Didn't sleep as much as I would have liked to. Once I wake up I can't get back to sleep, so I figured I might as well get breakfast." He peeled a banana and took a bite. "What about you?"

"I'm always up at this time. Melanie likes to sleep in, though. We seldom spend out mornings together."

Sun nodded. "So, how is the younger of the bouncer twins doing this morning?"

She blushed. "I only agreed to take that job because of Melanie, you know." Melanie explained to Sun yesterday what their lives were like before the comet had arrived. Sun seemed impressed at their profession. "You probably wouldn't like it very much."

"Well, I'm sure _I _would like it well enough. Good pay, free drinks, the opportunities to kick someone's ass every now and again. As a girl, I probably would hate it. Thank God for the Y-Chromosome, I guess." He laughed.

Militia gave a small, shy smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I don't really care for it, though. Drunk customers can get a little...touchy, I suppose is a nice way to put it."

"I'd imagine that your sister wasn't very keen on that."

"No. That made the job easier to deal with. Anytime someone would...well, make physical contact with me, Melanie usually booted them from the club. In more extreme cases, that would be literal." Sun laughed heartily, drawing forth another smile from Militia. After a few seconds, she had to laugh too.

Sun inhaled, trying to catch his breath, and took a sip of his morning tea. "This is nice," he commented.

Militia calmed down as well, tilting her head to the side with her precious smile still adorning her face. "What is?"

"_This_," Sun repeated, motioning to himself and Militia. "Being able to tell stories and laugh. Not pretending to be happy, but _actually_ smiling and laughing from the heart. It's nice."

She nodded. "Yeah, I suppose it is." She glanced over to the nearest window and saw the faint, black glow of the comet come from just out of view. "How much darker is the world going to get before the light comes back?"

Sun sighed. "I dunno. But what I do know is that we're all in this together. Nothing can stop us." A beep escaped from his and Militia's pockets; their scrolls that Ozpin had given them. Both pulled them out to see what it was.

"Looks like the recon list has been updated," Militia stated.

Sun read it. "Tomorrow...team RWBY is going into the Emerald Forest?" His stomach felt odd, and he lost his appetite. "Why...do I not like the sound of that?"

* * *

The day seemed to be passing slowly for some. For Yang, every second felt like an eternity. When all of team RWBY had awakened, the four of them went and ate breakfast. They were joined by Sun and Militia, who had just finished eating and had found out about their recon mission that was to take place the next day. After they parted ways, Weiss and Ruby left together to polish and clean their weapons. Blake offered to go stay with Yang, but the blonde politely refused, saying that she wanted to be alone for a little bit. Blake said that she understood, and promptly departed to attend business of her own.

A few hours later, and Yang still stood where she had went to after she parted ways with her team; she was standing before Cardin's grave. Cardin was cremated, but they still felt the need to erect a tombstone of sorts. A small stone slab was placed on the precipice above the Emerald Forest, just beyond the defensive wall. It wasn't far enough away to be a dangerous spot, as the wall was directly behind Yang and still well within view; should any Grimm attack here, she would fight them off successfully for a minute or two before backup arrived.

A gentle breeze rolled up the cliff face, making Yang's hair sway softly in its soft tendrils. The stone slab before her was simple, yet elegant. The words written upon it, however, were a constant reminder to her that some no one should try to play to role of God.

**Cardin Winchester**

_**Honor bound, the Promise is sacred.**_

Yang didn't know who wrote Cardin's epitaph, but she felt that it was fitting. She felt a smile spread as she read it once more. It was a gentle, sad smile; one filled with pain, sorrow, and regret, as well as faith, hope, and determination to set thing right. "Oh," came a small voice from behind. Yang turned to see Velvet holding a single, red rose. "I didn't expect to see you, Yang," she said with a smile.

Yang nodded as the rabbit faunus approached and laid the rose down before the memorial. She knelt before the stone and clasped her hands together as she held her head low; Yang realized that she was praying. Yang chose to respectfully remain silent while the girl prayed, watching over her with mild curiosity and care. "How long have you been here?" Velvet asked suddenly.

Yang was about to answer, only to find that she didn't actually know. She pulled out her scroll and gazed at the time listed and was shocked; it was noon. She had been standing in front of Cardin's grave for four hours. She laughed weakly. "I didn't realize I'd been here for that long."

Velvet stood and faced Yang with concern. "That's not like you to stand still for too long."

Yang's smile faltered before she dropped it altogether. "I guess...I just feel sort of responsible. I know the alternative was for you to...well, I guess there are some things you just can't win at."

The faunus nodded. "I also feel responsible. I could have saved him had he given me the opportunity I needed. I am grateful that he saved me, and that you told him that I would die, because now I'm alive. Events changed."

"Not by much though," Yang pointed out sadly. "Someone still died."

"But maybe his sacrifice will help change things for the better."

Yang shook her head. "Ruby told me that he still would have died. One year from now, he would have died in a massive battle. The same battle that Ruby and Blake are supposed to die in."

"What about you? Are you supposed to die?" Velvet asked.

"Ruby said that most of us died. Very few survive." She looked into Velvet's eyes. "I sincerely hope that we can prevent that."

Velvet smiled. "I'm sure we have. Cardin was supposed to die in a year, you said? Well, he died early to save my life. What if that set a change in motion that would alter the outcome of this mess?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if I survive long enough to participate in that battle? What if I am one piece on the board that was meant to be gone, but remained and thus helped to turn the tides around?"

Yang smiled. "I suppose that's the best we can hope for."

"I'm _sure_ that enough has changed at this point. Cardin's death won't be for nothing, Yang. I can feel it!"

The blonde felt a single tear roll down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away. "Oh, come here, you!" She grabbed Velvet and gave her a tight hug.

"Gah!" Velvet squealed. "Ms. Yang! I can't breathe!"

Yang let go and stepped back a little bit. "I'm sorry, but those were the words I needed to hear right now. Thank you, Velvet."

Velvet smiled. "Anytime, Ms. Yang."

The blonde turned to the stone. "And thank you, Cardin. I'll make sure that your death means something. We'll stop this calamity! I promise! Just you wait and see!" She turned and began to make her way back to the heart of Beacon, her stride full of power and confidence.

Velvet smiled. "Look at what you've created, Cardin. In the wake of your fall, a phoenix has risen from the ashes that burned you." She knelt down once more, and recited the words that she had hand carved herself. "Honor bound, the Promise is sacred." As she echoed those words, however, a strong gust of wind picked up the rose that she had placed on the stone and carried it over the cliff, red petals scattering. Something about the sight made her feel sad, and she felt a pit form in her gut.

* * *

The next day, team RWBY had gathered at the top of the cliff; the same place where their initiation had started. "It feels different," Weiss pointed out as she looked over the massive forest from on high.

"It has been different," Ruby stated, shifting her gaze to the comet above. "Ever since the day the world went away." She sighed, unsure of what to expect from the forest before her. "Ready girls?"

Her three team mates gave an affirmative, and the four of the dove off of the cliff. Weiss used her glyphs to gently set all of them down, not wanting to let the others use gunfire like they had before; stealth was their only ally in this forest, and they needed to keep it close. Yang immediately deployed Ember Celica, ready to fight at a moment's notice without any delay. "Let's head out," Ruby whispered, and the four of them began their hike through the woods, praying silently that the Grimm were all in the City of Vale.

Ruby remembered from her premonition that there were Grimm hiding within the forest, but that was long ahead from the now that they were in. Four months away from now, to be specific. It was entirely possible that the Grimm had been hiding here the whole time, or maybe they had all left, and then a few had returned to help bolster their ranks. That was a possibility, because Ruby also remembered that it wasn't long after their failed Emerald Forest mission that Beacon would come under attack, and others would die in that battle. Far too many would die.

Including Ozpin.

She shook her head to get the image out of her head. There was plenty of time before then. There was time enough to plan properly for the invasion, and time enough to save even more lives. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about the "what ifs" and the "what could be" moments that haven't happened yet.

The comet had come, as Ruby had foreseen, and brought hell with it. She hoped it had been a nightmare, but the howls that erupted from the forests that lasted for weeks reminded her that it was reality. The darkness was real, and she had to have hope that she could bring forth a light strong enough to send the shadows away. Then, and only then, would the nightmares be replaced by sweet dreams once more.

Blake, who had been given point due to her heightened faunus senses, froze and raised her hand; the signal for them to stop in their tracks. She had heard something. She motioned up to the tree tops, silently telling her team that it would be best to climb up and look down from here on. Team RWBY did just that, and they proceeded slowly until Blake told them to stop once more.

The non-faunus members of team RWBY held their breath as they focused all of their attention to their ears, waiting and listening for any sound to be heard from the woods around them. _Snarl, snap, growl._ There were Grimm about. They moved up, expecting to see a handful of Beowolves or Ursi. Ruby had to keep from gasping loudly, Weiss's eyes went wide, Blake's jaw dropped and her ears flattened in fear, and Yang was unable to process what they were looking at.

Before them was a clearing that seemed to be about a mile around, and every inch of it was covered in dark, monstrous creatures. Their red eyes scanning everything around them, looking for some sort of flesh to feast upon.

"How can there be this many Grimm hiding so silently in plain site?" Blake whispered in confusion.

Weiss shook her head. "It shouldn't be possible. Twice this many Grimm have been spotted in Vale."

"And half of that is standing in front of us," Blake quipped. "That being said, I still can't count them all." The ground shook as another Grimm entered from the far side of the clearing. Three of them had never seen anything like it before. It was the biggest Grimm had ever seen, and no record of its existence was written anywear. It's four paws were bigger than the largest Ursa, and each of its three heads was the size of a Bullhead. "W-what the hell is that?" Blake asked, suddenly much more frightened than she had been before.

"No..." Ruby said quietly. "It's too soon."

Weiss barely heard her leader's whisper. "What is that thing, Ruby? Did you see it in your premonition?"

Ruby nodded. _Cerberus! _she thought. "We need to go. Now."

"You know," Yang said. "For once, I'm not gonna argue that point. Running away sounds like a viable solution right about now." The four girls turned to leave, and at that moment a the tree branch that Yang stood upon snapped and fell. Yang managed to catch herself and land on another branch, but the damage was done. The small noises that the Grimm were making became silent as the grave upon hearing the new, alien sound. "Shit," the blonde whispered.

Then came the howling, growling, snarling, and snapping of jaws, followed shortly by the sound of feet pounding the ground in a sprint. "Run!" Weiss screamed.

Team RWBY leapt, sprinted, and dodged as they began their escape. All the while, the Cerberus looked in their direction, not caring to move at all. It seemed almost as though it was content to let the lesser Grimm do the hard work. A layman, in fact, would have sworn that the beast was smiling. A deep, monstrous sound could be heard coming from deep within its body. One would almost say that it was a laugh.

* * *

_We're In This Together - Nine Inch Nails_

**Author's Note **

Cliffhangers! Do you hate me yet? I hope not, but at this point I wouldn't be surprised. I would like to point out that I don't just sit down and say "Hey, I'll write _this_!" I actually go through a lot of processing and consideration before I make any major decisions with this story. In fact, this is as much of a roller coaster for myself as it is for you guys. I actually had something happen to me during the writing of this chapter that I can't tell you about yet. TT_TT If I remember to add it, I'll tell you about it in the NEXT Author's Note.

Why the next one? Because the next chapter is a critical piece of the story that I've had planned for a very, VERY long time. I'm excited to finally get around to it, while at the same time I'm worried. I don't want to fuck it up.

So, I was reading my outline for this story, and I realized that I have alot of chapter's potentially planned out that are named after Nine Inch Nails songs...damn you Trent Reznor for making such amazing music.

Also, I apologize for taking so long on this chapter. I'm working again, as I've said, so I don't get a whole lot of free time. In fact, I've only written on this chapter for about two days this week, today being most of it. I spent 3 days at work pouring concrete, which is hella exhausting. I'd come home and immediately pass out. I still haven't mowed my grass because of it. I should do that tomorrow if it doesn't rain...but I also need to write the next chapter.

What is the next chapter? Well, I've been planning it for so long that I'm tempted to tell you what it will be called...but, I shall not. It won't take me too long to write it, in theory. At the risk of making a liar of myself, I'll say that you should see it in a few days.

Till next time! (Really don't want to be lynched!)


	9. Chapter 8: What It Is To Burn

Chapter 8: What It Is To Burn

Absolute dread filled the members of team RWBY as they ran as fast as they could. Blake held Gambol Shroud in its pistol form and fired behind her, killing as many Grimm as she possibly could in her rush. However, the beasts were relentless in their chase, and for every Grimm she felled another took its place. "We're in a tight spot, guys!" Blake called from the rear.

"Just keep running!" Yang yelled back. "We'll make it back to the cliff shortly."

"Just how exactly do we plan on climbing back up with all of those things chasing us?"

"I don't fucking know, just run!"

"Maybe we should stop and kill a few of them. Try to slow them down?" Weiss added, panting all the while. Of the four girls, Weiss had the least amount of stamina when it came to sprinting.

"No!" Ruby exclaimed. "We can't stop! Cerberus is here!"

"Cerberus?"

"You mean the giant three headed Grimm?" Blake asked.

"He's the worst monster out of all of them! By himself, he will be responsible for most of our casualties!"

"Why are we just now hearing about him?" Weiss asked.

"Because I thought we had time! He's four months too early!"

"Four months? How?" Yang asked.

"I...I don't know, okay! I've predicted as much as I can, but at this point everything is completely different. I don't know what to expect anymore!" Ruby was frantic. Just as she had just explained, she didn't know what to expect anymore. She was confused and somewhat disoriented by what was happening. This should not be happening.

"Girls!" Blake called. "We need to call Roman! There's no way we're getting out of here alive without a Bullhead drop!"

"Agreed!" Weiss stated, switching her mission microphone to be on Roman's channel.

* * *

Roman felt sick at his stomach. It wasn't a stomach virus, or food poisoning. No, it was the feeling you get when something had just gone wrong, but he couldn't figure out what it could possibly be. He knew that team RWBY had set out earlier that morning on a recon mission, and so he and the rest of SMMR were on standby inside Roman's prized Bullhead. Sun was pacing impatiently in the cargo hold behind the cockpit. Roman grabbed a nearby pocket sized notepad and hurled it at the faunus boy. "Will you cut that out! You're getting on my nerves!"

Sun dodged the small pad of paper and gave Roman a sheepish look. "Sorry. I'm just...worried, I guess."

The thief sighed. "That makes two of us."

"Don't worry, Sun," Militia said, approaching him and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. This elicited a curious look from Melanie. "I'm sure our friends are just fine."

"Yeah," Roman said. "They'll come back without our help, tell us everything's okay, and then I'll tell Red that she might not have looked hard enough, which will force her to tell me that her name isn't Red, which will..." A crackling sound came over the Bullhead's speakers; someone was trying to contact him.

"Roman!" came the voice of the heiress, Weiss.

Roman grabbed the dashboard microphone. "Good afternoon, Princess," he greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"No time! We need an extraction in the Emerald Forest immediatly!"

Roman's eyes narrowed. "Roger. Tracking your scrolls now...we'll be on our way shortly." The Bullhead was already running, just in case, so he buckled in and began to make the aircraft climb. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Grimm! Hundreds of them! And something else!"

"Something else? What kind of something?"

A brief pause filled the void of conversation. "Some new monster. Ruby called it Cerberus."

_Cerberus?_ Roman thought. He recognized the name. Really, anyone should. It was a name found in a piece of classic literature, and deep seated in legend. Roman was a classy man, he liked to think, and would often kill time by reading classic literature. So, when it came to Cerberus, only one thing stuck in his mind:

_Cerberus, a monster fierce and strange, with three throats, barks dog-like over those that are immersed in it. _

_His eyes are red, his beard greasy and black, his belly wide, and clawed his hands, he clutches the spirits, flays, and piecemeal rends them._

_-Canto VI, Dante's Inferno_

If the real Cerberus was anything like what Dante described in his epic, which Roman had read before, then fear was the proper emotion to be experienced at this moment in time. Roman, not one to miss an opportunity of any kind, felt the pit in his stomach drop even lower. One of Hell's guardians, the master of the realm of Gluttony, was just beyond Roman's doorstep. Roman wasn't too thrilled to meet him, either. "We need to hurry," Roman whispered at last, forcing the Bullhead to speed along even faster.

* * *

A lone Beowolf had snuck past the prey. It had abandoned its pack at the command of the master, whom told it to ambush the four feasts that attempted to escape from their clutches. It wasn't far ahead of them, but it wasn't worried about that. After all, they were the ones being chased, not it. It tried its hardest to suppress its primal instinct to growl, snarl, howl, and bay at the oncoming enemy; it didn't want to gain their attention too soon.

Here they came, into its view. The front most one was in all white with white hair; the master told the Beowolf to ignore that one. The next was wearing black with a red cloak. _Feast! _ the master commanded. The Beowolf couldn't reply back, nor did it feel the need to do so. The Beowolf was just a monster, with no true desires of its own except for the need to feed. The order to feast upon the red one was all the information it needed to make its move.

"Roman's on his way!" the White said to the other three.

"Good!" answered the Black, who was in the far end of the Pack-of-Four.

"We need to move faster!" the Red stated. The Beowolf stared hungrily at her, ready to make its move. They were getting closer and closer, and they were too distracted by the Beowolf's pack behind them to notice it in front of them. Closer. Closer. _Closer._

The Beowolf leapt from the shadows, hurdling its body towards the Red one as quickly as possible. Fangs exposed, claws at the ready, it swiped at her right side, attempted to flay the flesh from her bones.

"Ruby! Look out!" called the Yellow one in the middle, just behind the Red. She shoved the Red out of the way, but not as well as she'd hoped. The Beowolf's claws managed to tear into the flesh of her right arm, eliciting a cry of pain. It landed with a loud thud, upset that it had failed to kill its prey, but pleased to have slowed them down for its brethren to finish off.

The four girls stopped and turned on the lone Beowolf, and the Yellow charged at it. "You bastard!" she screamed, her eyes turning red. An instant later, the Beowolf felt nothing below the neck. It saw the ground approaching and felt confused. It rolled it's eyes to look up after it hit the ground, and saw its own body standing headless before it fell limp to the ground. Darkness slowly consumed it's vision as it attempted to howl, but no sound escaped.

* * *

The four of them found a relatively flat treetop that was safe away from the Grimm, 'safe' being a term up for debate at the moment. Ruby had a nasty looking gash on her right arm from where the Beowolf had caught her off guard. "You okay, sis?" Yang asked, voice full of sisterly concern for Ruby's wellbeing.

Ruby poked at the wound gently, causing her to wince and hold back a pained moan. "It should be fine," she said. "I've had worse."

"Not much worse," Yang pointed out. "Here, let me fix that up for you." She quickly and easily removed the orange scarf from around her neck and began to tie it around Ruby's gash. She was as gentle as possible in making the scarf be as tight as it could be to protect the open wound. "You know, I take it back," she said when she finished, admiring her handywork. "This isn't so bad." She flashed her sister a charming smile. "It'll heal up in no time. You're a tough cookie, sis. It'll take more than this to put you down."

Ruby felt as though she was going to go into shock. Those words...those were the same words that Yang had said to her in her premonition. She looked over at the scarf, watching as a small spot of blood leaked through the fabric, and felt horrified. "No, Yang. No! No, no, no, no!" she cried.

"Sis, what is it? What's wrong?" Ruby met her sister's gaze, but she slowly drifted back to the scarf and stared at it sadly. Yang understood at this point what Ruby was so upset about. "Is...is it today, Ruby?" she asked. "Is today the day that I...?"

"Don't!" Ruby commanded. "Don't you dare finish that question, Yang." Tears filled her eyes. "I'm going to save you this time. Cerberus and the other Grimm can be damned to Hell all they want, but they aren't dragging you with them. Not this time!"

"I hate to interrupt," Weiss stated. "But we seem to be overstaying our welcome up here! More Grimm are coming."

"Right," Yang agreed. "Let's go, sis. We have a school to warn, don't we?"

Ruby nodded, determined to see to it that everyone made it back home. Overhead, the engines of a Bullhead could be heard. "SMMR to RWBY," Roman's voice cracked over the communication system. "I see you on my screen, but I can't get you there. Too many trees. There's a clearing north of your position that's currently free of Grimm. Care to take a little hike for me?"

"We'll be there, Roman!" Ruby answered.

"Glad to hear you're okay, Red. Don't keep me waiting!" The engines faded slightly, but they could still be heard in the distance.

"Let's go!" Ruby ordered, and the four of them leapt down and began running north.

After a few moments, it became clear that this would prove difficult. Blake's superior hearing detected dozens upon dozens of Grimm were starting to catch up and surround them. They had waited in the treetop for too long, it would seem.

* * *

Roman set the Bullhead on the ground, and the other members of team SMMR set out to stand guard against any possible Grimm threats. "Hey, Roman," Sun called from just outside. "What's a Cerberus?"

Roman deeply inhaled from his cigar. "Literally, I haven't a clue. I've never seen a real Cerberus before. It's supposed to be a fictitious and mythological creature from the belief system of a long dead civilization. Centuries later, a poet wrote an epic depicting the stages of the afterlife, and in the first part, the _Inferno_, he describes a great three headed beast who reigns over the realm of Gluttony, one of the circles of Hell." Inhaled again. "It was described as monstrous beast with an unending appetite. It devoured the sinners who committed the sin of Gluttony, and they were damned to an eternity within its belly."

Sun gulped. "And...that thing is real?"

Roman shrugged. "I don't know, Sun. But Ruby named this new Grimm 'Cerberus' for a reason. Anything with that sort of name worries me. I don't want to say this out loud...but I truly expect the worst."

A loud, howling roar erupted from within the forest. The sound was like nothing any of them had ever heard, and it forced Roman to quickly turn his head in the direction of the source; he could see nothing, which worried him even more than if he could see something. "Be on the look out!" he exclaimed. "Team RWBY should be coming from that direction." It was south. Sun, Melanie, and Militia readied their weapons, unsure of what to expect.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Yang asked, taking the risk of looking back; she saw nothing, but continued to hear to roar. To her, it sounded like the howls of Hell, yet it seemed to be coming from a single beast. "Was that Cerberus?"

"Don't think!" Ruby yelled. "Keep running. We can deal with them later!"

"Ruby," Blake called. "We're not gonna make it! We're already surrounded."

"What!?" Weiss and Yang both exclaimed.

"They're keeping their distance, but there is no escape for us; they've got us surrounded from the east, south, and the west. We can keep going north as we're supposed to, but they're most likely going to cut us off before we make it to the Bullhead."

Yang looked around in all directions, at first continuing to see nothing. But then, just barely, she noticed the bright, glowing red eyes of the various Grimm that had them surrounded. It was just as Blake had said. She looked forward to her team mates. She stared intently at each of them from the rear, gauging up their chances for survival.

Weiss was strong and intelligent, but she lacked the level of stamina a fight of this magnitude would require. She would be dead within a matter of minutes. Blake was clever and agile. She could avoid any major damage for a long while, but even she would have to reach her limit eventually. Outnumbered as they were, she would tire out and die as well. Ruby was fast and strong, but her speed was far greater than her muscle. Her best bet was to keep running, but if any of them stopped to fight she would too. Thus, her fate would be sealed and she would die alongside her friends.

Yang, however...Yang wasn't as fast as Ruby, wasn't as smart as Weiss, nor was she as clever as Blake. But she was the strongest. She had the highest level of stamina, her punches without her aura, semblance, or gauntlets could shatter a full grown man's ribs in an instant. The weapons and fire that she always had would greatly multiply her damage output. She could destroy more Grimm singlehandedly that any other member of team RWBY. Yang remembered what Ruby had told her the night of the premonition, back when they thought it was all a nightmare.

_"Ruby, your reaction to seeing us...what happened?" Weiss asked, ignoring Blake and Yang._

_ Ruby began to tear up again. "You...you all died. Yang died protecting the three of us, Weiss died to help me and Blake escape, and Blake..." she paused and turned to face the cat faunus. "I'm so sorry, Blake." Ruby began to cry again._

Yang knew what she had to do. Why she had died in Ruby's premonition. _I have to stay behind,_ she thought. "I have to stay behind!" she yelled loud enough for the others to hear. She grinded her feet to a halt and deployed Ember Celica, prepared to fight off the Grimm.

Ruby and the others paused in their escape and saw Yang standing, battle ready with a look of determination on her face. "Yang?" Ruby asked softly. "Yang, don't do this! We can escape together this time! You don't have to stay behind like you did before!"

"She's right, Yang," Weiss added. "We know how this is going to end if you stay behind. We won't sit by and let that happen!"

"You don't understand," Yang said. "This was always going to happen. There is no escape. Blake already said as much. One of us has to stay behind and distract the Grimm long enough for the others to escape. I've already figured it out in my head; I'm the only real option."

"Yang," Blake said quietly. "I...I don't want to lose my partner." She paused. "My closest friend."

Yang put a hand on Blake's shoulder. "Hey now, kitten," she whispered, adding her pet name for Blake. "You know that this has to be done." Blake wanted to argue, but she couldn't form a rational argument. She knew that Yang was right.

"Sis, please!" Ruby pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "Don't leave me again! Don't! Just don't!"

"Sis, I..." Ruby slapped Yang.

"No! You listen to me, Yang! I'm not just you're little sister! I'm also your leader! Your commander! I order you to escape with us! You're no good to anyone dead, Yang! You...you can't protect your family if you're gone!" Her tears came stronger and stronger.

Yang was going to argue against her sister, but another idea came to mind. An idea that made her sick at her stomach and went against everything she'd ever known and done...but she had to do it. "You're right sis. I'm sorry." She pulled her sister into an embrace. "I'm so sorry," she said again.

"Y-Yang?" Ruby asked. In that moment, Yang did something she'd never once done in her life; she punched her sister as hard as she could in the stomach. Ruby made a gross regurgitating sound as the impact forced her to puke and cough trace amounts of blood before passing out half a second later.

Yang caught her body before it hit the ground and shoved into Weiss's arms. "Get to Roman and go home," she ordered, her eyes full of tears." She turned away so that Weiss and Blake wouldn't see her cry; she didn't want their last memory of her to be of tears and sadness, but of bravery and sacrifice. "Weiss."

Weiss choked up at the sight of the older sister. "Y-yes, Yang?"

"Remember that promise you made to Ruby? To be the best team mate you can be?"

Weiss nodded. "Of course," she answered, her voice cracking as she fought back tears.

"I need you to do more than that now. I need you to be there for her when I can't be. Be the shoulder for her to cry on, and the friend that she celebrates with. Be a sister for her to love. Be...be the best _you_ that you can be, Weiss. For both me, and my sister."

"I...I promise, Yang."

Yang nodded. Her voice cracked from her crying as she said one final thing to Weiss. "Take care of her."

Weiss and Blake nodded, both of them trying to fight off tears. Both of them were failing. Weiss hefted Ruby's limp, unconscious body over her shoulder and the three of them escaped to the north.

Yang felt her aura flaring up. She had been staring at the ground with her back to her friends, facing south. A sound made her look up; she was surrounded by Grimm, just as Blake had said. "I'm going to make you all burn for your crimes," she said menacingly. "Because today you're going to make my sister cry. Nobody, and I mean nobody, makes my sister cry." Through the tears, Yang's eyes shifted color to Red. The Grimm charged her, and she let her aura explode, enveloping everything in flames as she began to fight back. With every Grimm she had slain, she felt herself growing happier and happier. Every dead Grimm gave her sister more and more of a chance to escape, and she also avenged Cardin piece by piece.

Several dozen more Grimm showed up, taking the place of the ones she'd killed, but she never let up. Every wound she received was a reminder that her sister would hurt. Every drop of blood she lost was a copy of what would survive through Ruby. Every swing of her arm was a dead Grimm at her feet. Every dead Grimm was a minute added to Ruby's escape time. Bloody, weak, and damaged, Yang saw that she was still surrounded. She charged up her aura once more, readying for the final stand. She smiled defiantly at her foes. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!" she said dryly. "And this woman knows how to burn like Hell!"

* * *

Roman's bullhead was ascending. Three of the four members of team RWBY were on board and they told him to take off. Almost immediately, the forest was engulfed in flames. _Yang_, he thought. "How's Red? Is she hurt?" he asked, trying to distract himself from the older girl's apparently struggle.

"She's just out cold," Weiss stated. "Yang knocked her out so that we would escape with her." Weiss's eyes were puffy and red, and so were Blake's. Roman knew what that had to mean; Yang had said her final goodbyes.

"Nng," Ruby groaned as she woke up. She coughed and spit a few drops of blood; Yang really hit her hard to knock her out. "What happened?" she asked groggily. She looked around the Bullhead. "Yang? Where's Yang?" A large exposion erupted below, engulfign even more of the forest in flames. Ruby recognized those flames; they were the flames of her sister. "Yang? Yang!" She tried to crawl out of the Bullhead. "My sister! My sisters in that!"

"Ruby!" Weiss yelled. "It's too late for her! She's gone!"

"No! I have to save her! I have to save her! I promised her that we'd all make it! I promised!" Her tears streamed anew as she screamed. "No! No! My sister! She's burning! She's burning!" Weiss almost tackled Ruby, but it wasn't to stop her. Weiss embraced Ruby in a tight hug; a hug that she'd never given anyone before. She hushed and tried to sooth the screaming girl.

Blake looked out of the door of the aircraft and watched the flames grow smaller in the distance as Roman flew them back to Beacon. "Goodbye, my partner," she whispered as a final parting.

And somewhere in those flames, Yang smiled as she burned with the rest of the Grimm she fought. Long dead at this point, she knew that her sister was safe and sound. Her task in this world was over. And, she was right. She was the only one who truly knew what it meant to burn, for she was flame, and the flame was her. Now, her flame was extinguished, but the flame of another was lit.

It was faint, and even she didn't realize it was there, but the flame of revenge was lit on this day. It only needed time to grow into a blaze.

* * *

_What It Is To Burn-Finch_

**Author's Note  
**

Here it is: the dreaded chapter. I'd wager alot of you hate me now. Well, I'll tell you this: I'm depressed now. I had an incident where I accidentally foreshadowed Yang's death in the previous chapter. Which I did alot anyway (sort of), but this one was direct and unintentional. It was so...I dunno...aweful? It wasn't bad per se, but as soon as I wrote the words I actually had to stop writing for about thirty minutes. I felt physically ill, like I was going to throw up. That's how much the decision to kill her off has affected me. As I've said before; I don't make these choices lightly. I just hope I handled it well. That being said, I've actually had this planned for a very, very long time. There are references to the song used here in other chapters. They're probably obvious at this point, but there is one in an author's note that I'm particularly proud of. See, I wanted it to be sort of surprise, but sort of not surprise. I guess I wanted people to ease into it a little bit...maybe because I wasn't as ready myself as I wanted to be. Who knows.

From here, the timeline will stay similar to the original, while also being different. The events that Ruby foresaw will happen, but they won't happen when she thinks they will (much like Cerberus), and the outcomes will change at times, while some outcomes may stay the same. Like the Doctor said: Fixed point in time.

I've been begging since the beginning not to be lynched, and here is why. Please, don't lynch me! At the risk of being hated on, I will sincerely ask you to please review this chapter: It's been a long time in the making, and I want to know how I handled it. I've been looking forward to writing it, and I've also been the most worried about it.

Till next time. (I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.)


	10. Chapter 9: The Ghost of You

Chapter 9: Ghost of You

The sound of glass shattering echoed from Ozpin's office. He was now regretting his decision to let team RWBY go alone into the Emerald Forest. _Team VLVT, or JNPR, or LNER could have gone with them! They could have had back up!_ he thought angrily. The floor was covered in the remains of the coffee mug that he had violently thrown at the wall. He thought that there would be minimal danger since it seemed that most of the Grimm had relocated to the City of Vale. Instead, he made the same mistake he'd made with Cardin. He let _him_ die too. Everyone said that Cardin died a hero for protecting Velvet and keeping his promise, but Ozpin knew that in the end it was all his own fault. He should have told Cardin no, and he should have denied Yang as well. And now both were gone. The only thing that angered Ozpin even more was Yang's younger sister. He was angry at himself, of course, for what the younger girl was going through.

She just lost the only member of her family that she knew was okay. Her mother had died years ago, and contact with the outside world had been severed when the Grimm began spreading. As such, the sisters hadn't had contact with their father in weeks. They hoped that he was safe somewhere, but feared that the Grimm might have got to him first. And now, there was one lest girl to feel worried about her father. And if their father _was _still alive, then Ozpin felt that it was his duty to tell the man in person what had happened to his oldest child.

He had to put a stop to this. Two of his students, though considered graduates, were now dead and he felt responsible for them. "No more," he whispered. "No more will die as long as I am headmaster of Beacon." His gaze shifted over to a map of Vale that had been sitting on his desk. He picked up a marker and wrote a single word on the Emerald Forest. _Cerberus_. He had heard team RWBY's report from Weiss, and now he had to begin planning.

The first order of business: recover any remains of Yang Xiao Long. He sent out a message to Port, Oobleck, and Glynda.

[Recover Yang. Destroy any Grimm within range.]

Ozpin looked out of his window and saw Oobleck already racing to meet up with Port and Glynda, destined to be the first to arrive before the three of them departed. He sat at his desk, and began to play the game he had learned the rules to ages ago. The game of waiting patiently.

* * *

The room was locked. No one was getting in. She wouldn't let them. No amount of soft words, bribing, or coercing of any kind was going to sway her decision for isolation. She felt as though she had lost everything that she ever loved. In one fell swoop, the woman who filled her mother's shoes all those years ago was gone. Every time she closed her eyes she could see the flames climbing to the sky, burning her dear sister. Higher and higher they climbed until she felt as though they would burn her as well as she looked on from up high, being carried to safety inside of a Bullhead. Her remaining team members yelled and cried, trying to calm her, but their words dissolved into meaningless rabble as she watched her worst fear occur before her very eyes.

And when she opened her eyes she would pray that it was all a nightmare. Yang would be sitting next to her with a smile on her face. "What's wrong, little sis? Have a bad dream?" she would ask. She'd give her a warm glass of milk, still smiling brilliantly. "Don't worry, Ruby. It's just a dream," she would say. "I'm still right here. I'll always be right here." That's what Yang would do when Ruby opened her eyes. She was sure of it.

Yet when she opened her eyes she would still be locked inside of the empty room, surrounded by the spirits of solitude and devastation. This prison of damnation was her new home, and she purposely stayed there. She could leave at any point, but refused to. The door was locked, and only she could open it. She just didn't want to. Her sister was dead. What was left for her now? Her mother? Long since dead. Her father? No one knew what became of him in the last few weeks. He was probably dead too. Ruby was alone, and thus wanted to remain alone.

How much time had passed since Yang's death? Hours? Days? Weeks? Months? Ruby didn't know. As soon as Roman landed the Bullhead she ran off into the nearest building and found this abandoned room and locked herself inside. Weiss, Blake, Sun, Melanie, Militia, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, Velvet...they all tried to talk to her. She refused to see any of them. Ruby loved them all, but she could never love someone like she loved Yang.

Her sister. Her dear, sweet, beautiful, loving sister. Tough as she was, she was the softest out of all of team RWBY's members. She was always the first to smile, the first to laugh, and the first to protect those around her. Those smiles would forever haunt Ruby now. All of the smiles that she had given, and all of the smiles that would go to waste would forever stick to her mind. That gentle smile.

Ruby closed her eyes as she began to cry again, and was met with flames once more. Higher and higher they burned. "I'm so sorry," Yang had said. Ruby's eyes shot open again, once more hoping it was just a nightmare. She was still locked in the empty room.

How long had it been? Hours? Days? Weeks? Months? Ruby didn't know. Only now did she truly look around the room she was in. It was an old locker room. Old lockers, sinks, and shower stalls lined the wall. Ruby's thoughts were scattered. Without really considering what she was doing, she began to disrobe and entered a shower stall to bathe herself. It wasn't a shower she enjoyed. She barely washed herself, as she didn't have any soap, and she kept increasing the heat of the water. Hotter and hotter, she kept turning it up until her skin was scalding and she had to turn off the shower, but not once did she show any sign of discomfort. It hurt, but she felt it would insult Yang if she cried out.

Steam filled the room as Ruby exited the stall. Without a towel, she just stood there dripping. She noticed a mirror nearby and approached it. Her reflection was warped and disfigured by the steam that filled the room, causing the mirror to fog. Ruby absentmindedly took her hand and wiped the fog away from top to bottom and looked at her figure. Her right arm had barely healed at all. _Strange_, she thought. _It must have been days since that happened. Right? Right?_ The gash was ugly and spanned from the bottom of her shoulder socket to the midpoint of her bicep at a diagonal angle. It was sure to leave a long, deep scar.

Next, her eyes turned to look at the reflection of her stomach. It was black, blue, and yellow where Yang had punched her. The bruising was sore and fresh, and it made her hurt with every breath she took. That bruise was another reminder of her sister. Yang had punched her, something she had never done before, for the sole purpose of saving Ruby's life. "I'm so sorry," Yang had said, right before her fist made contact with Ruby's torso.

Finally, Ruby looked at her own face. She couldn't comprehend how she looked, but anyone else would see the obvious difference. Ruby was usually so alive and happy, and it was most notable in her eyes. Her eyes, which gleamed like freshly polished silver made by the finest craftsman, would speak volumes of her personality. One look and you would know that Ruby was happy and healthy. She would usually be excited and energetic and would get on some people's nerves, but that's just how she was. That's how people wanted Ruby.

The eyes that looked back at Ruby from the mirror were not her own. The once vibrant silver eyes now looked dull and lifeless. The red that filled the whites of her eyes spoke not of happiness and energy, but of tears and darkness. The lack color preached damnation rather than joy. Her flat expression told tales of surrender rather than perseverance. She felt as lifeless as her eyes looked. She closed them so as to not look at them, and she was met with flames again. "This was always going to happen," Yang had said. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Glass shattered and forced Ruby to open her eyes. She looked up and saw her reflection in pieces. Her left fist was leaning against the mirror, cracking the looking glass and cutting her knuckles. She had punched the mirror. She looked up and saw light creeping in from a small window near the ceiling; sunlight. How long had it been? Hours? Days? Weeks? She didn't know anymore. All she knew was that despair was once a feeling she heard about in stories. Now it was a real feeling for her, and she was in its clutches. She felt as though Despair wouldn't let her go for all of eternity. She placed her left hand under the sink faucet and washed the fresh blood away before finally getting dressed.

* * *

Roman Torchwick was a strong man. He was a smart man for the most part, and few could match his cunning. He was an influential man, and once had control over many organization throughout Vale. He was a resourceful man, and could turn any situation to his favor. Most commonly, he was seen as a heartless man.

Could a heartless man be so lost as he was now? It had been less than ten hours since they returned from extracting team RWBY from the Emerald Forest. He'd seen people die before, and he'd seen battles go awry before, but something about Yang burning in the forest made all of those previous incidents seem like child's play. To make matters worse, he wanted to help Ruby, but didn't know how. He'd seen it all. The "I'm sorry for your loss," the "I understand how you feel," the "It gets easier with time," and the "These things happen," just didn't seem like they would cut it. There was nothing he could say to her that would comfort her. He wanted to make things right for her, but there was no way to do that. There was absolutely nothing he could do. Nothing.

But he had to try. He felt a strange sort of love for Ruby that he'd never felt before. It wasn't romantic, but neither was it the level of love that friends give. It was almost paternal. No, maybe not paternal. But it definitely felt like a family love that he felt for her. He was sure that she didn't reciprocate that feeling, but she did consider him a friend, which was close enough. Because of that love he bore her, he had to try to help her. That's all there was to it, and he was determined to give it his best shot.

He arrived at the door to the abandoned room that Ruby had taken refuge in and knocked on the door. "It's me," he said, hoping that got her attention. "Listen, I...I know I don't have the best things to say at times like these. I was always alone, so I've never felt a loss like the one you've just experienced." He paused, breathing in. "I wish I could tell you it'll be okay. I wish I could comfort you and tell you that I understand. But I don't. All I can say is what I know: you've lost someone close to you and I'm sorry. I'm terribly and truly sorry. Maybe if I'd flown faster, or maybe if I'd joined the mission as back up, none of this would have happened." He waited for a response. He sighed when none came. "I'm probably not helping, am I?" He waited again. "Listen, Red, I just...just want to help."

He heard footsteps running towards the door. Was she going to let him in? Was she going to hug him while she cried and give him an opportunity to try to comfort her? Was she finally going to let someone help? The door opened violently, revealing a terrible looking Ruby. It appeared to Roman as though she had stripped off her clothes and put them on haphazardly, leaving herself in a frantic looking state. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her breathing was quick. One feature that seemed different from earlier, however, was her expression. She looked angry.

"What did you say?" she asked, almost harshly.

Roman gulped. "I said that I want to help," he answered.

"No!" she yelled. "What. Did. You. Call. Me?"

"I called you Red, like I always do."

"Red, was it?" she asked, sounding cruel. "You called me Red?" He nodded. "My name isn't Red!" she yelled. "It's not fucking Red, you son of a bitch!" Roman stepped back; he'd never known Ruby to swear. "That's not my name! No one but you calls me that! Weiss doesn't call me that! Blake doesn't call me that! And Yang...Yang never called me...she never called me Red!" She began to tear up. "That's not the name she knew me by, Roman. Please...just call me Ruby."

She began to collapse as she cried, but Roman caught her. He eased her into the room and shut the door to give her some semblance of privacy. "I'm sorry," he said. "I don't mean to offend you. It's just...how do I put it? A cute pet name I've given you." He patted her head gently. "I know no one else calls you by that name. It's just how I am."

"But it's not my name," she cried. "Yang never..."

"Shh," Roman hushed her. "It's okay, Red. It's okay."

"No! No it's not!" she yelled. "My sister is gone! You don't know what that feels like! You can't understand!"

"You're right, I don't!" Roman yelled back, tightening his embrace on Ruby. "But if your premonition about your own fate comes true, then I will understand. I don't want that!"

Ruby's eyes went wide. "What...what are you saying?"

"Without you I'd probably have been working for Cinder alot longer. Without you I wouldn't be here, fighting for our cause! You _matter_, Red! Alot of people would be dead right now if it weren't for you."

Her eye's continued to tear up. "B-but...Yang still died. I couldn't save her!"

"Maybe," Roman started. "Maybe some things can't be changed. Maybe there are some things that are bendable and adaptable, but others that must always be as they are. Maybe Yang's death was one such point in time; a point that would always happen. Without it, who knows where the events would lead. Maybe she was _supposed_ to die to strengthen you. To give _you_ a reason to fight harder." He pulled away from the embrace and gazed into Ruby's tear filled eyes. "You're sister died, Ruby. _Use it_."

"Use it?" she asked. He nodded. _Use it,_ she thought. _Use it. Use it. Use it! USE IT!_ She felt something snap from within, as though a great weight that was being held up by a thin thread had been set free, letting gravity take proper control.

Roman witnessed with astonishment as Ruby's expression grew darker and more ferocious with each passing second. Her grief was slowly vanishing and was being replaced by anger. A rage began to burn in her eyes, the likes of which Roman had never seen before. For a split second, Roman thought he saw a hint of change in her eye color. It almost looked like the silver eyes had become as rubies, deep red with rage and blood.

Finally her rage hit a ceiling, and she let it out in a screaming fit. Rose petals seemed to explode from her, floating violently around the room and forcing Roman to take a step back. After a few seconds she seemed to calm down, but her eyes maintained a sliver of the red hue. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks, but Roman saw within her core a newfound resolve. He smiled, silently vowing to support whatever resolve she had found.

A knock came, and Ruby's gaze shifted to the door. "Ms. Rose?" came the voice of Glynda. "I'm...I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have something for you. Something I believe you should have." Ruby looked away from the door, still not feeling up to seeing much of anyone.

Roman smiled. "I'll get it." He opened the door slightly.

"Oh, hello Mr. Torchwick," Glynda greeted.

"Roman's fine," he answered with a smile before shifting to a grim expression. "What's up?"

Glynda nodded. "We recovered this from the Emerald Forest." She held up a cloth bundle. "If you could give this to Ms. Rose, that would be much appreciated. Also... tell her that I'm sorry for her loss."

Roman nodded and took the object before closing the door with a "thank you" and a "good day." He approached Ruby and passed the bundle to her. "She said it's from the forest."

Ruby eyed it suspiciously before taking. Slowly and gently she unraveled the bundle, revealing one of Yang's gauntlets. It was the right gauntlet, if Ruby remembered correctly. It was slightly blackened and scratched, but through all the damage it still shone a vibrant yellow. Ruby smiled faintly and sadly, reflecting on what this gauntlet had been through and what it could do. What Yang could do. She closed her eyes and was once more greeted by the climbing flames. Now, however, she wasn't afraid of them. Now she saw something in them that she didn't see before.

She saw the instrument of her vengeance.

She handed the gauntlet to Roman. "Take this to my team," she instructed. "Tell them...tell them to set up a wall mount for it. It will be our own private memorial to Yang."

Roman nodded. "What about you, Red?"

Ruby's eyes finally returned to their original silver form. "I have work to do." She grabbed Crescent Rose and walked out of the door. "I'm going to the workshops. I am not to be disturbed until I'm finished." With those parting words, she left Roman alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Sun was furious. He knew there was nothing he could have done to save Yang. He wasn't there. He couldn't have got there in time. Maybe that's what made him so furious. His lack of ability to arrive fast enough was reason enough to be angry. He was in the training room punching at punching bags, trying to calm his nerves and blow off some steam. Blake had been there earlier, but she didn't stay long. She watched Sun for a few minutes before leaving in tears; apparently, watching sun spar with the punching bag reminded her of Yang.

He had lost track of time. When he finally paused to rest and look out the window, the shattering moon was well into the sky. He dropped to the ground, exhausted. He fell even further backwards to lay flat on the ground and his eyes met the gaze of Militia. She looked at him sadly, but she still held a smile on her face. "Hello," she said, standing over him.

"Hey," Sun replied. "What are you doing?"

"I...I couldn't sleep. I tried to go to bed when Melanie did about an hour ago, but I just couldn't do it. Usually I'd stay up with Melanie, but she was so exhausted that she fell right to sleep. I didn't want to wake her."

Sun nodded, sitting up. "Wanna talk about it?" He patted the floor next to him, signaling to Militia that he wanted her to sit next to him. She nodded and joined him, but the pair sat in silence for a few moments.

"Did we ever tell you about when we first met Yang?" she finally asked.

Sun shook his head. "No, I don't think you did."

Militia smiled, her mind wandering off to the memory. "Most people would have hated her if they were in our shoes. It was when we were working in Junior's club as bouncers. She showed up one evening looking for someone. We never found out who. She tried to get the information from Junior, but he didn't know."

She turned to look at Sun. "We don't really know why, but Yang got angry with Junior. Or, at the very least, somewhat irritated. She punched him and beat up a bunch of his men. Then me and my sister joined the fight. Oh, God, could she fight. Melanie and I hadn't had a fight like that in ages. We were toe to toe! I didn't know who was going to win. We would have kept fighting, but Junior made us step out so he could fight her. He's weaker than us, so it's no surprise that Yang beat him. Only after he tore some of her hair out though."

Sun laughed. "Yeah, that's a big no-no for Yang."

Militia's smile faded. "That was the best night Melanie and I had ever experienced. We hoped that she would come back eventually and stir up more trouble. We wanted to fight her, to get to know her, and maybe even become friends with her. All of the horrible nights of working were made worth it in that fight. We wanted more."

Her eyes shifted to the floor, and she was unwilling to say what she was about to say next. Sun said it for her. "And now you'll never have that ever again," he said.

Militia shook her head. "No, we won't. We did become friends with her, but what is it worth now? She's gone, and we're still here."

Sun looked outside to the moon. "I don't like not knowing what's going to happen. Ruby's predictions have only partly become fact. Everything else is changing with what we prevent. Events are more unpredictable than ever, and anyone of us could die next."

"I don't want to die, Sun. But more than that, I don't want to lose those I care about."

"Ruby's lost her sister. You don't want to lose yours. I understand."

Militia leaned her body until her head rested on Sun's shoulder. "Melanie isn't the only one I don't want to lose," she said quietly.

Sun slowly turned to look at the top of her head, processing what she had just said. "Y...you mean...?" he tried to ask.

She turned her head to face him and nodded with tears in her eyes. She smiled before placing a hand on Sun's cheek. Leaning upwards gently, she placed her lips onto his. The kiss was brief, and they gazed into each other's eyes longingly when they parted. Sun liked the way she tasted, and decided right then that he wanted more of it. Pressing the advance, he set his lips to hers. She accepted his passion and returned it in full.

The night was long and full of passion for Sun and Militia, who found their own way to cope with the loss of a friend on this night. Under normal circumstances they would have been worried that someone might catch them, but on this night they didn't care. All that mattered was the warmth of their bodies pressed to each other in the heat of the moment, and nothing could take that away from them.

* * *

Somewhere in the city of Vale, the death howls of Grimm echoed as they were slain violently and without remorse. A heavy thud came from the street as a figure landed from a rooftop. The figure was female and surrounded by floating blades. "Mission parameters have been met: Grimm in Merchant District have been eliminated," she said. "Awaiting further orders."

A radio built into her body switched on as the voice of a woman came through. "Very good, Penny. Return to us. We'll start again in a few days."

"Understood. Returning to HQ." The blades disappeared into her back as she turned and walked in the direction of her "home". It wasn't her real home, but it's where her current master lived and that was enough for her. Her gaze shifted to the north east. In the darkness, she could make out the silhouette of Beacon academy, and she wondered silently if her friends were okay. Maybe she would find out soon. Until then, she was going to work for the new master.

After all, her master told her that they would visit Beacon soon.

* * *

_The Ghost of You- My Chemical Romance_

**Author's Note  
**

Holy shit I love writing this story. What do you think about _this_ chapter's cliffhanger? I love that cliffhanger! I know I use the hell out of cliffhangers, but I feel like they make the story more interesting. I'm really excited for the next few chapters. Especially the end of the next chapter! Nothing deadly happens, mind you, but I have an interesting concept for the next chapter's ending. I hope you guys enjoy it!

As usual, it's time for this chapter's episode of...

FUN FACT: I've been planning out most of this story from the beginning, but little bits like this chapter's ending and what it's leading to were developed later upon having someone point out a somewhat interesting plot hole from early on that I had forgotten to tie up. I'm glad I left it alone for so long. Otherwise I wouldn't have come up with this new idea. Also, FUN FACT 2.0: I've been playing A Realm Reborn: FFXIV! It's freaking amazing!

Till next time, friends! Hopefully I'm beyond the point where I worry about being lynched!


	11. Chapter 10: The Re-Coming

Chapter 10: The Re-Coming

Weiss stared sadly at the gauntlet that Roman had brought to her. It was Yang's, of course, and with it came emotion and memory that Weiss couldn't help but experience. "Where's Ruby?" Weiss had asked Roman. He told her that she was in one of the workshops and that she didn't want to be disturbed. It didn't take them long to find out which workshop Ruby had locked herself in. The sound of tools and grinding echoed through the door and into the hall. The door was, of course, locked. That didn't stop Weiss from leaving food and drink for her leader, though. She would set a tray down next to the door, knock and tell Ruby that she had brought food, and she would leave. When she would return a few hours later the tray would be empty, and the red leader would still be locked within the room hard at work.

Weiss could only speculate what she was doing inside. The way Roman told her, it seemed as though Ruby had an idea of some sorts when she saw the gauntlet and she ran off. It had been two days since then, and no one but Roman had seen Ruby since they had returned from the failed recon mission. Then again, the more Weiss thought about it, wasn't it more successful than they were giving credit for? They discovered hundreds, if not thousands, of Grimm lying in wait. And then there was the Cerberus. Whatever it was, it would doubtless cause untold amounts of destruction and devastation when it left the forest. Weiss prayed that day would never come, but she knew it would be only a matter of time.

For now, all they could really do was to prepare for the inevitable battle. Sooner or later, an all out war would be in full effect against the Grimm. Weiss prayed that the world would be strong enough to fight back long enough for the comet to disappear. If Ruby's predictions about it were accurate, it should be passing through the solar system and out of sight in another month or so. When the comet and its aura were gone, it would be their time to strike back and eliminate the Grimm. _Yes_, Weiss thought. _We must prepare. _She left the dorm and locked the door before heading to the storage areas where all of their supplies were being held. It was high time she took inventory.

* * *

Blake swung wildly at the punching bag, trying to imitate Yang's fighting style. She didn't want to learn how to truly use it, but she felt that she needed to do this for a while. Tears stinging her eyes, Blake could barely see the bag in front of her as she punched it as hard as she could, making her own knuckles bleed. The pain had finally become too much, and Blake fell backwards into a sitting position on a nearby bench. She stared at the open gashes on her knuckles, panting heavily and winching from the pain.

It was just like when Cardin died. She had found Yang doing the exact same thing. Blake had to force Yang to calm down and stop before she damaged herself beyond repair. _Yang, you're hurting yourself,_ she had said. She looked over Yang's wounds and patched them up. She smiled at the memory; it was one of the more intimate moments between herself and her reckless partner.

"Never forget," she whispered out loud. "Never forget those whom we've lost. Remember them always, carry them in our hearts, but don't let their memory distract us. Accept it. Put it away. Lock it deep inside your heart." They were the very same words she had told Yang that day. Blake nodded to herself and walked to the first aid station to grab some bandages to fix her hands up.

She took the bandages to the bathroom where she washed her hands before wrapping them. Taking a towel to dry off, she looked in the mirror and saw her own determination. A great warrior had fallen in battle, but from her ashes a new battle would be waged. Blake smiled at the thought of being on the winning side. There was going to be a return of strength and power. Most notably, Blake knew that Ruby wasn't locked in the workshop's sulking; she was up to something, and this gave Blake hope.

* * *

Ren was finally done. He had been working tirelessly to rebuilt the missing half of Storm Flower. He didn't have time to paint it green like the original, so one of his guns was still a mixture of metallic grays and silvers, but he didn't mind. The blade on the replacement wasn't as long, unfortunately, but he _was_ in a hurry when we was building it. Hopefully, the modification that gave it a faster fire rate would make up for the lack of blade length. He smiled at his completed work before turning in his chair to show his team mates his final result. "It's done. I am whole again," he said.

He did most of the work in the workshops, but for the final stretch he had relocated all of the necessary supplies and tools to the dorm of team JNPR. Jaune and Nora nodded their approval, and Pyrrha smiled at him. "Just don't get into a situation where you need to replace them again. Last time we could have lost more than just a gun, you know," Jaune said.

"Yeah. Sorry about that."

"Don't be," Nora said sadly. "You were protecting me. If our roles were switched, I'd have done the same." She grew silent for a moment. "Jaune, Pyrrha, can me and Ren be alone for a bit?" The two nodded and left the room.

Ren stared at her. He had an idea about what this was about, but he didn't want to speak out of turn. He waited patiently for Nora to make the opening move. "Ren...I was so scared when we were on that mission. I slipped up and lost focus for a moment, and didn't realize just how bad it was until you saved me. I could have died. You could have died. Both of us could have been killed that day."

"They've kept out recons to a minimum for the last few days," Ren commented. "To give us plenty of time to recover properly, and for me to replace Storm Flower's left twin." His gaze shifted to the table where he had lain both guns. The right one was somewhat scratched and scuffed, revealing some silver and gray beneath the layers of green. "But you were more important than my weapon, Nora."

"I know...I've been thinking about that. It's not even been a full week since then, but I've come to understand something in those few days that I should have understood a long time ago." She turned her eyes to meet Ren's. "I care more for you than I thought. You're more than just a friend to me, and I don't want to lose you either."

Ren stood and hugged Nora. He smiled, though she couldn't see it, and said, "I know."

Nora was in tears. "W-with Yang dying, and more Grimm coming...I...I didn't want to regret not telling you that I love you. I love you, Ren. I really, truly love you."

"I know," he said again. "You never had to say it. But I'm glad that you did."

Outside in the hall stood Jaune and Pyrrha, both listening to their team mates. In these days of darkness, they were happy that some light was shed on this night.

* * *

Weiss's face was scrunched in confusion. "This can't be right," she said out loud, reading from her clipboard. "Luna, come here for a moment."

The girl in question came. "What is it, Weiss?"

"Do these numbers match up to you?" She handed Luna the clipboard.

The blue clad girl stared at the pages and looked around to the crates that the paper mentioned. Back to the paper, her own face scrunched up. "Well that can't be right. How did we use this much dust?"

Weiss took the clipboard back and re-read it herself. "I don't know, but there's no mistaking it. We're going to have a shortage of dust in the coming days if something isn't done soon."

"You think it's the Bullheads? They aren't very fuel efficient, you know."

"That, and possibly our fellow huntsmen and huntresses are stocking up on ammunition and not reporting to us. That's not really that big of a deal, so I'm not going to press the matter, but we _do_ need to find a solution to this problem. If we run out of dust, then we lose our ability to fight for the long haul. No ammo. No transport. No magic."

"That's not good," Luna chimed. "What can we do?"

Weiss nodded her head. "I don't know for sure. But I do have some ideas. I'll have to mull them over and consult with Ozpin on the matter." She looked up at the night sky. "It's getting late. You should get some rest. I've got what I needed."

Luna flashed Weiss a smile. "Don't work too hard. Get some rest. We don't need you collapsing on the job, after all." She began to walk away with a wave.

Weiss smiled as Luna left. Before she approached her, Weiss had no idea who Luna was. They had become fast friends, no doubt in part to Ruby inadvertently teaching Weiss how to be more social. Luna had begun assisting Weiss in all of their supply needs, even going as far as coming tonight on short notice to help Weiss take inventory. Weiss liked being in charge of the supplies as she was, though it was more self established rather than given to her.

Her appreciation of the job, however, was less than stellar in the face of this new issue. Their supply of dust was starting to run low, and Weiss needed to fix that problem. What could she do, though, to solve the issue?

If it were possible she'd contact her father and put in a requisition for a large quantity of dust, but there's no way that she could get a hold of him.

Was there? She knew then what she had to do. _Time to get in touch with my family_, she thought.

* * *

The next morning, Weiss and Blake were messaged on their scrolls to come to the workshops and wait outside. They tried to open the door, but it was still locked. The two girls decided it was best to obey the message and just wait it out; clearly Ruby wanted to talk to them or something. From within they could still hear the sound of machines and tools. Blake's faunus ears picked up the sound of a buffing wheel, or some similar instrument. "She must be exhausted," Blake commented. "From what I've been able to hear the last few days, she's barely slept. The longest time period that it was quiet in there was about four hours yesterday after noon."

"At least she's eating," Weiss added. "That, or we have a terrible rodent infestation that eats her food for her when I'm not looking." She stared intently at the door. "I really am worried about her, Blake. Just _what_ is she working on in there?"

Blake sighed. "With any luck, she's preparing for revenge against the Grimm." She glanced at Weiss. "Realistically, that's not all that great either. Without at least four teams, we won't be able to take out Cerberus."

"I'd imagine even then it'd be difficult." Her attention was drawn away by the sound of footsteps. Weiss turned to see Roman strolling down the hallway with a somber look on his face. "Hello, Roman," she greeted.

"Hey, Princess," he returned. "I guess Red told you two to come as well?" The two girls nodded. "Any idea what this is?" He waved his hand in the door's general direction.

"No idea at all," Weiss replied.

Roman sighed before lighting up a cigar, ignoring a nearby No-Smoking sign. _This is the beginning of the end of the world. Second hand smoke is the least of their worries_, he thought. "I really wish we could help her. She's probably been in there sulking."

"While that's possible," Blake stated. "It's not likely. She's been busy. She _is_ up to something."

"I wonder what it is."

The door clicked; the lock was undone, but it didn't open. Weiss, Blake, and Roman looked at each other before shrugging and stepping through the door. Inside the workshop was the aftermath of a category five hurricane. Scrap metal, spare parts, a few cartridges of dust, and broken tools littered the room. At the far end, clearly putting some final touches on something, was Ruby looking very messy and unkempt. Her hair looked wild, poking this way and that, and her cloak had stains and tears that were previously not there. Her pale skin was blacked by oil and dirt in large splotches, and she looked ready to pass out from exhaustion. Yet in her hands she held something as delicately as though it were a small child. She turned and smiled a weak smile to her team and friends. "It's done," she said after several minutes of silence. "It's finally done!"

The three others looked at each other. "What's done, Red?" Roman asked.

Her weak smile twisted menacingly, turning into a dark smile that none had ever seen Ruby wear before. "The instrument of the Grimm's extinction."

Weiss was caught off guard. "What do you mean, Ruby?"

Ruby held up the object; it looked just like Crescent Rose, only there appeared to be some thicker parts in places, and Weiss thought she could see a color discrepancy in the inner folds, but couldn't tell for sure in its current, folded state. "I would like to introduce you to Ember Rose," Ruby announced. In a single swift motion, she swung the block of metal violently, letting the deployment mechanism work its magic as the weapon unfolded quickly. The shape remained much the same in its newer, upgraded form, however the trigger assembly and several places on the blade were thicker. One such thicker place above the blade was painted yellow instead of red, and the curved blade itself featured a serrated edge instead of a single smooth, razor sharp edge.

"Ruby," Blake started. "What _is_ that?"

Ruby's smile grew wider as she twisted her hand on the handle. A loud popping sound reverberated through the room, and the silver blade began to change to a warm orange color, slowly fading into a bright red; the blade was heating up. "My sister burned to keep us safe. It's only fitting that the Grimm burn as well while I tear them limb from limb." Ruby almost spat in disgust at the mention of the Grimm. "They have a special place in Hell waiting for them, and I'm going to be the one to send them there. Starting with Cerberus."

Ember Rose's color slowly faded until it returned to its silver color, leaving Weiss and Blake both impressed and dumbfounded. Blake finally smiled. "Yeah, Ruby. We're going to kill them all. We'll make them pay for taking our Yang."

Weiss nodded in agreement, and Roman simply smiled. Ruby glanced over at Roman. "Do you still have that cigar I never finished?" she asked.

"U-uh, yeah. Why?" he asked, caught off guard.

"I'm going to finish it. It will be my moment of remembering Yang before I move towards this re-coming." Roman nodded and reached into his pocket for the cigar. Producing it, he gave it to Ruby and lit it for her. She inhaled and exhaled the smoke. She looked at Weiss and Blake. "We need to meet with Ozpin. It's time we planned out counter attack. Our _real_ counter attack."

* * *

Penny stood on top of the hill just outside of Beacon. The new master said that the time was perfect to visit Beacon. It'd be a surprise, and alot of people would die most likely, but Penny was happy that she'd get to see her friends again. She was ready to see Ruby's smile, to hear Weiss get angry, to see Blake get flustered and play it off like nothing happened, and she looked forward to hearing Yang crack jokes.

She was especially excited to finally see Ruby again. She was certain that her friends were all safe and sound. Sure, they were warriors, but they were also students; there's no way that Beacon would allow any harm to come to their students, right? That was Penny's thought process.

Penny looked to the sky; it was noon. She wasn't allowed to enter Beacon until nightfall, but Penny was a patient person. So, she stood and waited.

And while Penny waited for the green light to enter Beacon, Cerberus watched from the shadows of the Emerald Forest. In his eyes was an anticipation so strong that it made his mouths water with delight. _Soon_, he thought. _So very soon._

* * *

_Song: The Re-coming - Guilty Gear 2: Overture_

**Author's Note  
**

I'm so, _so_ sorry for taking so long on such a short chapter. You know how it is when you're employed. You get home, you're tired, you don't do a whole lot. And I've been going to alot of Magic: The Gathering tournaments lately. Trying to win some money. No luck yet. Fingers crossed!

Anyway, I didn't really like writing this chapter, but it is necessary as a setup for the coming chapters. Hopefully I won't take as long on the next one, but I'm not going to make any promises. Also, I've got a new story idea for my original stories, which as I've said many times before, they take precedence. Gotta try to make some money somehow, you know? Gotta pay them bills!

Fun fact: I hate Guilty Gear 2. That is the worst excuse of a Guilty Gear game ever. I'm so happy that Guilty Gear Xrd is going back to what GG is supposed to be. However, Guilty Gear 2 had a great story, and the music was amazing (as it should be for a Guilty Gear game). The game play was just shit though. There is no redeeming that. The Re-Coming is pretty much the theme song for the game, and its really bad ass. Look into it.

Till next time, when shit might go down!


	12. Chapter 11: The Mark Has Been Made

Chapter 11: The Mark Has Been Made

Weiss, Blake, and Roman had forced Ruby to get some rest before they approached Ozpin with any sort of discussion, which she begrudgingly accepted. She tried to argue that she wasn't too tired, that she was able to speak with Ozpin. However, several night's of sleep deprivation, having only slept three to four hours at a time, were finally catching up to her. When she finally laid her head down on her pillow, she realized just how tired she really was. Her eyes felt heavy, and she fell asleep instantly. This caused Weiss to breathe a sigh of relief as she closed the dorm room door behind her as she exited with Blake.

Roman was waiting in the hall for the two girls, his arms crossed as he 'patiently' waited to see what they were going to do now. "Well?" he asked.

"I think we can still broach the subject to Ozpin without Ruby. She won't like it when she wakes up, but right now she needs her rest," Weiss stated. "We'll tell him that Ruby will soon be back in fighting condition, and that team RWBY is ready to begin continued operations. I also need to discuss some things with him."

"What sort of things?" Blake asked.

Weiss was about to answer, but she closed her mouth. "I don't want anyone to worry needlessly yet. It's just something I need to bring up with the professor, that's all. It's important enough to require his attention, but not enough for just everyone to know. Not yet, anyway."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "Sounds dodgy," she commented.

"It isn't," Weiss assured. _Not yet, anyway_, she repeated mentally. The issue of an inevitable dust shortage had weighed on her mind since last night, but she didn't want to start a panic. No, she would keep it discreet for a time.

Roman nodded. "I'm gonna get the rest of team SMMR and make sure that we're Bullhead ready. It's been a few days since we've last flown, so we need to do proper maintenance and stay alert. Just in case." He gestured with his hand a parting before turning on his heel and strolling towards the exit. Weiss wasn't entirely sure if she was right, but she felt that Roman had relaxed since they saw Ruby this morning. She didn't really notice him on edge or anything, but now that Ruby was resting peacefully he seemed more himself. _I suppose Ruby really has infected him. He truly has become her friend._

Blake nudged Weiss to regain her attention. "So...we're off to Ozpin's?"

Weiss nodded. "To Ozpin's."

* * *

Melanie sat by herself. Odd for one of the Malachite twins, but she had purposely sent her younger sibling away on an errand. It was a pointless errand that would take Militia a while to work on before she figured out it was a falsehood, and Melanie felt bad about making her sister waste her time. Still, she felt it was justified. She needed to talk to a certain monkey faunus about her little sister, and said little sister couldn't be present for such an exchange.

Melanie liked to think that she was a smart young woman. Not the most intelligent, of course, but neither was she a complete moron. She believed that she had enough logic and reasoning to pick out enough details to understand situations at their most basic form. Having watched Sun and Militia interact for the last week, she was confident that there was something going on between them. Militia hadn't said anything to her, nor had Sun said anything, but Melanie wasn't a fool. The protective look that Sun gave the younger Malachite, the way Militia would gaze at him from a distance, the subtle touch of their hands and the subsequent awkward shuffle away from each other before they stood close by again; the signs were all there.

But Melanie wanted to hear the words from the monkey's mouth. She knew the truth, but one must never assume, even when the assumption is correct. She smiled, and remembered a clever phrase that Junior had once said. "When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me." It was a play on words, but an amusing one all the same.

She had sent a message to Sun, telling him to meet her in the cafeteria. It was still morning, and if this were a normal day Melanie would probably be waking up right about now, but instead she sat and silently ate breakfast while she waited. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the faunus in question enter through a set of double doors, see her, and make his way to her table. He didn't get any food, so he must have eaten breakfast already. _Morning people_, Melanie thought sarcastically.

Sun sat down in front of her. "You rang?" She nodded, sipping her morning coffee quietly without saying a word. "Is this really important?" Another nod, and a bite of bacon. Sun stared at her incredulously. The attitude she seemed to be giving off started to make Sun uncomfortable. "Am...am I in trouble for something?"

Melanie smiled before finally speaking, having swallowed a piece of toast. "I don't know yet." Her tone was almost menacing, and Sun gulped. "What are your intentions with my sister?"

Had sun been eating he would have started choking. "I...don't know what you're talking about." He looked away, unable to make eye contact.

"Don't start lying to me now," she said, irritated. "It's a serious question, and I want a serious answer. What are your intentions with my sister."

Sun shifted his eyes towards her before looking down to the table. "I don't know yet," he answered. "I haven't really put that much thought into it."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're not saying that you don't care for my sister as much as she cares for you, are you?"

"No! No, I'm not saying that. I'm just...wait, did she tell you something?"

Melanie shook her head. "Should she have?"

"I suppose not," he commented. "I suppose what I meant is that I haven't really planned all that far ahead."

"I see." She sipped from her coffee. "Militia hasn't told me a thing, Sun, but a blind person could see that you two are into each other. I'm not an idiot."

Sun sighed, giving up any possibility of a fight. "Yeah. I do care for Militia. Deeply. I think it might have started before...before Yang." Both looked at the table sadly. "The night that Yang died, Militia came to me. She...she was scared of losing me. And she was scared of losing you. We were both scared, really. And then...well, that's not important."

Melanie caught on. "You didn't..."

Sun looked at her with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry."

"Was it that bad?" she asked.

"No! No, it wasn't! But I'm sorry that we went behind your back. I'm sorry we didn't go about this in a more proper way."

"If you truly care for my sister, then I can't accept your apology." Sun was confused. "I don't care that you two went behind my back. What I care about is my sister's happiness, Sun. I've taken care of her for most of her life. One day, I may not be here to take care of her. Sooner or later we'll have to part ways and take our own paths in life. I can do that was ease if I know that someone else will take care of her in my stead." She finished her morning coffee before giving Sun a very lovingly look. It wasn't love for him, but love for her little sister that Sun saw. "Are you the person who will take care of her for me?"

Sun nodded. "I'll do everything in my power to make her happy."

Melanie smiled. "Good. Then I have nothing to worry about. As her older sister, Sun, you have my blessing."

Both of their scrolls beeped, signaling a message. Sun checked his first. "Roman wants us to make sure everything is ready to use. We may be doing missions again in the coming days." Melanie nodded and the two left the cafeteria. They had work to do.

* * *

"Miss Rose is resting now, you said?" Ozpin asked Weiss.

"Yes, Professor. She should be combat ready by tomorrow should she be needed," Weiss replied.

"That's good to hear. Hopefully I won't need to use her for a while, but we still need to have everyone in prime condition. How is she handling Yang's death?"

"Better than she was before, but I don't think she'll ever get over it."

"That's understandable." Ozpin gazed out of his window curiously. "You mentioned the need to plan a counter attack?" Weiss nodded, even though Ozpin couldn't see it. He still knew the answer she gave, though. "I agree. I've reviewed the notes regarding Ruby's premonition. The Grimm reproduced exponentially during the time of the comet, but that growth ceases when the comet leaves. There are still far too many Grimm to properly handle at that time, but the comet leaves fairly early in the predicted year. It's been almost three months since this problem started. We have one more month before the comet disappears, assuming that part of the premonition remains untouched. We should target that time to begin our counter attack. It will be the most effective when the growth rate of Grimm returns to its previous cycle."

"What about the acceleration of events, Professor?" Weiss asked. "Ruby said that Cerberus was four months early. Yang's death was early. Why?"

"We've altered the timeline, Weiss," Ozpin answered. "So far, Cardin and Yang are our only two casualties. Heavy losses as they are, I want you to look at this." He slid a folder across his desk to Weiss.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Read it and see."

She opened the folder and began reading. "Velvet Scarlatina. Aric Rouge. Luna Fay. Sun Wukong. Pyrrha Nikos. Peter Port. Leo Brauns. Sky Lark. What is this?" Weiss asked as she read the list of names.

"That is the list of all of the people who should be dead by now if Ruby's prediction had come to pass. We've altered the timeline, and saved most of those lives." Ozpin sipped from his mug. Weiss continued to read the list, and sure enough the last name on the list was Yang's. "Compared to where the timeline should be, we've done a pretty good job keeping our numbers up. Still, the two casualties that we have are two too many."

"Agreed," Weiss said.

"Let Miss Rose continue to rest. The day after tomorrow, we'll convene and have another meeting of team leaders to discuss our future battle plans." He turned and met Weiss's gaze. "We'll beat them back, Miss Schnee."

"Yes, sir." She was about to leave, but stopped herself. "One more thing, Proffessor. I took inventory last night. We're about to have a dust shortage on our hands. If we don't do something about it, we won't be able to fight back."

"I see," Ozpin replied. "That's disturbing. Do you propose any sort of solution?"

"I have one idea, sir," she answered confidentially. "We need to contact my father." She paused. "How to do that, I have no idea."

Ozpin smiled. "We'll figure something out, I'm sure. Dismissed." Weiss left the room, and Ozpin wrote down on a notepad the key points of their conversation.

* * *

Noon came and went while Ruby slept in a state of pseudo peace, Weiss organized the remaining dust caches, team SMMR prepared the bullheads, and Ozpin began plotting for the endgame of this war for Remnant. Noon passed, and evening creeped over Beacon silently. The sun began its descent over the horizon, and no one saw it as any other day except for the final day of mourning for Yang. The morrow would bring a new dawn, and with it a new plan of action. Everyone prepared intently, for they knew that the coming days would bring great things to each and every single one of them.

All the while, Penny stood still as a pillar on the hilltop just outside of Beacon, awaiting for the signal to make her move. _I wonder how Ruby is doing?_ she thought cheerfully. Very few times in her life had she ever felt this excited. She was going to see her friends! This was something to celebrate, but the celebration would come after she and her master had moved into Beacon with the rest of them. That _was_ the plan, after all.

"Penny," came her master's voice over the radio. "Begin the operation."

Penny saluted, even though there was no one present to salute. "Yes, Ma'am! Operation is a go!" Penny leapt with her enhanced strength, giving her the feeling that she was flying.

* * *

Weiss was in the courtyard discussing dust management solutions with Luna. They were trying to figure out the best way to keep from running out when Luna happened to glance up. She was about to go back to the conversation like normal, but she saw something moving that caused her to do a double take. "What's that?" she asked.

Weiss turned and looked up. At first she didn't see anything, but then a speck started to get bigger and bigger; something was falling towards them, and it was getting closer. "I...I don't know."

A second later, a blur of something moving incredibly fast struck the ground in the center of the courtyard. Dust, rocks, dirt, grass, and bits of tree went flying in every direction, causing all in the area to scatter to safety and confusion. Weiss shielded her face from the debris and began coughing as the dust settles around her. Waving her hand to clear the air around her face, Weiss slowly opened her eyes to look at the newly formed crater. As the dirt and dust settled, a figure could be seen kneeling in the center. The figure stood up, and Weiss swore she saw floating blades surrounding the individual. Waving the blades like a giant fan, the dirt and dust was forced to ground, clearing up the scene and revealing the figure in the middle.

Weiss was more confused now than she was a moment ago. "P-Penny? Is that you?"

Penny's gaze shifted around the courtyard, seemingly identifying anyone in the vicinity, before falling on Weiss. "Oh, hello Wiess! You're hair looks lovely today!" She waved energetically as she greeted the heiress. Weiss was dumbstruck beyond words, incapable of replying. "Where are the others? Ruby? Blake? Yang?"

Weiss's chest ached at the mention of Yang. "Penny...Yang...Yang is..."

"It doesn't matter," Penny interrupted. "I'll talk to you guys later. I have work to do!" She shifted her gaze to a nearby huntsmen. "I have to make room for my master!" Swinging her blades, she caught the huntsmen off guard before he could raise his aura. His head rolled to the ground a moment later, and his body followed shortly.

"Penny!" Weiss exclaimed, horrified.

Luna grabbed Weiss shoulder; her hands were shaking. "You..._bitch_!" she exclaimed. "You bitch! You killed Aric!" Luna drew her weapon; Blue Moon. The revolver pistol's short dagger like blade extended swiftly, forming a complete gunsword, and the blue clad girl leapt at Penny to engage her in combat.

"Aric?" Weiss asked herself, still in a state of shock. _Aric Rouge!_ she remembered from the paper that Ozpin showed her earlier. He was supposed to have died earlier in the year, but he lived just long enough to die today. Weiss came out of her moment to see Luna fighting Penny toe to toe. Weiss sobered up and drew Myrtenaster and joined the fray, along with many of the other huntsmen present.

* * *

"Ozpin!" Glynda exlaimed. "We're under attack! A young girl landed in the courtyard and started attacking the students!"

Ozpin didn't need to be told; he was watching the events unfold from his office. He angrily punched the wall next to window. "They're not our students anymore, Glynda. They're our soldiers." He set down his mug and grabbed his cane. "Even so, I will not stand by idle and watch them be butchered." Swinging at the window, he shattered the glass and leapt out with Glynda trailing close behind.

The pair landed in the courtyard and were horrified to see that several others had died fighting this girl, but she seemed to be unharmed. Ozpin's face twisted in anger as he was about to join the battle, but an explosion erupted from the gate to the school grounds distracted him. "What!?" he exclaimed. He turned to see the gate blown away, and several White Fang soldiers began to march their way onto the campus. "The girl's a diversion! This isn't a random attack! We're under siege!"

He used his scroll to activate the emergency alarm system, and he sent a mass message to all of the huntsmen and huntresses to convene in front of the school for battle. The alarm wailed loudly, and the fight against the younger girl raged behind him as he stood there, waiting to see what would happen next.

Out of the smoke at the gates strolled a female figure; one that he thought he would never see again. His eyes narrowed. _You...are you really this daft!_

She walked in and gave an order to the soldier, who immediately began to attack and fight other huntsmen and huntresses, as well as setting fire to nearby buildings and gardens. She smiled, pleased that her plan was going as it should, before her gaze met Ozpin's. Her smile widened at the sight of him. "Hello, Ozpin. It's been a while."

Ozpin stood quietly for a time. "Hello, Cinder," he finally said.

* * *

Ruby woke to the sound of an alarm. Not an alarm to rouse her from sleep, but an alarm that was only used for emergencies; this was the first time she'd ever heard this particular alarm. She jumped from her bed and looked out the window to find smoke and flames, as well as the sound of battle. She shouldn't be surprised by it; everything else was starting to accelerate, so why should _The Battle for Beacon_ be any different? She grabbed Ember Rose and left the dorm. The only thought in her mind was a single, determined phrase. _I'm going to kill Cinder and stop this ridiculous battle._

One thing she didn't account for, however, was another alteration to the timeline. She didn't know that Penny was the one that started the battle this time around. Nor did she know that Cerberus was watching from the sidelines, pleased at the self induced destruction that was being caused. All he had to do now was wait for the humans and the animals to weaken themselves, and he would go in for the kill. He licked his lips, feeling the growing hunger in his belly as he thought of those delicious bodies that he would soon be feasting upon.

* * *

_Song: The Mark Has Been Made-Nine Inch Nails_

**Author's Note**

The Battle for Beacon, anyone? Shit's going down! I really like what I've done with Penny, in all honesty. Cinder's finally made a return, and Cerberus is doing his three headed dog thing. Please review, because I want to know what you guys think about it so far before the next chapter when the battle continues.

Fun Fact: Like Yang's death, I've been waiting to write this for a long time!

Till next time!


	13. Chapter 12: Nightmare

Chapter 12: Nightmare

The sun was nearly gone, slowly fading over the western horizon while the battle raged. Flames climbed to the sky as Beacon burned in a fiery rage filled war started by Cinder and her army of human and misguided faunus. Ruby stood atop the roof of her dorm, watching the battle unfold. She couldn't really see all that much, due to the chaos and the smoke. Her face was expressionless, but an anger burned beneath that false mask.

"There's one!" called a soldier from behind.

"Get her!" another answered. Ruby slowly turned to see three White Fang members charging her with swords drawn and guns cocked.

With minimal effort, Ember Rose deployed and Ruby swiped once with a slicing motion, embedding the jagged edge into the closest man's chest. He gasped in pain just before Ruby pulled the blade down, letting the serrated blade rip at his flesh, and he fell lifeless to the ground, lying face down in his own blood. The other two stopped and stared at Ruby in awe, frightened by how casual she seemed to view the situation. This, of course, wasn't true, but her mindset was that she didn't have time for them, so she didn't feel the need to waste it. "Is that it?" she asked the two survivors.

"You bitch!" the second one yelled as he charged.

"No, stop!" cried the other one, but he was too late; his partner was cut down just as quickly as the first. Ruby watched the body fall just before leaping to the third soldier.

"You're in my way," she said coldly. She kicked him in the gut, forcing him to fall off of the roof. Thankfully, he didn't bother to scream as he fell. Ruby stepped up and looked over the roof's edge. Twisting the handle of her scythe, the blade began to glow hot. Jumping from the roof, Ruby entered the fray.

* * *

Weiss panted heavily. She was completely uninjured, thankfully, but she was wearing thin on stamina. She was trying to fight Penny with her comrades, but Penny seemed to be ignoring Weiss. The inhuman girl was focusing exclusively on anyone else that attacked her, but she simply brushed Weiss's attacks off. She never even acknowledged that Weiss was trying to defeat her. To beat it all, Penny seemed unhurt as well, in spite of all of the huntsmen and huntresses that were fighting her.

Her thoughts raced with confusion. _What the hell is going on?_ she asked herself. Why was Penny attacking Beacon? Why was she ignoring Weiss? An explosion caught her attention; something was happening at the school's main gate. _What was that?_ She turned, not caring to let her guard down due to Penny not paying any attention to her, to see what the sound was. She saw several White Fang members, as well as suited men with weapons, charge the school grounds from the gate's direction. "Tch!" she spat, spinning around to face this new enemy.

Clicking the cylinder of Myrtenaster around, she set her blade to its ice setting before she blasted away the first three soldiers in a spray of frozen destruction. Not paying any head to their screams of pain, she spun and lunged at the next soldier she saw. Sparks flew between them as their blades clashed, but the victory for this singular encounter went to Weiss as she disarmed the suited man and stabbed his heart. Weiss had never taken another human life before, and the shock of her reaction embedded itself in her core, causing her to feel guilt, regret, and sadness. Tears were about to flow from her eyes. _Not now!_ she yelled inwardly at herself. _Work through the trauma! Fight and live, and then you can cry and regret later!_

Having given herself a chastising, she focused on the battle around her. Her attention seemed much more detailed as she looked around, looking for anything to take her mind away from the man she'd just killed. Looking up, she saw a familiar red cloak flapping in the wind as Ruby fell from their dorm's roof. Weiss wasn't concerned; she saw that Ember Celica was deployed and glowing with heat. Ruby was joining the battle. Weiss had to smile. _We can do this!_ She turned to see more of the soldiers charging her and several other huntsmen and huntresses who were not focused on Penny.

Readying herself, Weiss raised Myrtenaster in her fighting stance. "Let's go!" she yelled at her opponents as she lunged at them.

* * *

Blake was saddened by the sight of her former comrades. She had already slain several of them to protect her fellow huntsmen, but each one she felled was like a knife to her own heart. The fires that had been set to Beacon raged around them all as the White Fang and Junior's men besieged the school. The black haired faunus shook her head at the carnage around her. The other hunters with her, most of them also faunus. stood around, silently keeping watch while Blake stood over the corpses. "You fools," she whispered, fighting back tears.

"I wouldn't pity them, if I were you," came the cool voice of Roman. If 'cool' could be the way to describe him right now. Blake turned to face him; his hat was missing, and his jacket had a large slit in the left sleeve that was accompanied by a red stain. "They've been tricked by Cinder. _She's _the real fool here." He spat out his cigar and turned to face Blake. "Need a hand?"

Blake smiled. She couldn't remember ever smiling at Roman before, but this wasn't the same Roman that she'd met. This was the Roman that was tainted by Ruby. This was the Roman who had done everything he could for team RWBY. This man was reborn, and Blake was happy to have him by their side. "No," she answered. "I'm fine, but thank you." She saw that Ruby had just landed from the rooftop and had begun engaging the enemy. "Go to Ruby." She pointed to the red hooded leader. "She'll need your help more than I will."

Roman nodded. He turned to walk away, but stopped. "Your White Fang friends...do you think they'll listen to you? Can you make them betray Cinder?"

Blake shook her head. "I doubt it."

He sighed and shrugged. "It was an idea, at least." He sprinted to Ruby's aid. In the distance, beyond Ruby, he saw Weiss and several others struggling to fight Penny. "Wonderful," he whispered.

Blake nodded, and once again drew Gambol Shroud. "Incoming!" cried the voice of Alegra, the ferret faunus. Blake turned to see several White Fang members charging them with their weapons drawn.

Blake stepped to the front of the group faunus huntsmen. "They're White Fang," she told them. "But they are no brethren of ours." She looked Alegra in the eyes, and then turned to face the others that were with her. "Stop them at any cost."

"For Yang!" yelled a dog faunus boy; Leo.

"For Cardin!" yelled Velvet.

"For Beacon!" Alegra shouted.

"_FOR BEACON!_" they all cried, as though with one voice. Weapons drawn, their warriors' eyes turned to the enemy, they yelled their battle cries as they charged the field.

* * *

Ozpin couldn't remember the last time he'd fought so hard. For the first time in years, he was breaking a sweat. _I'm getting too old for this_, he thought as he dispatched another of Cinder's pawns. He silently cursed her. She wasn't going to get her own hands dirty; not yet, at least. No, she was purposely letting Ozpin and the other instructors tire themselves out before they died, either by her hands or her soldier's. "Don't let up!" he yelled, hoping enough of his own comrades could hear him. "Beat them back!" He could hear Cinder laugh at his orders, and he sent her a chilling glare. She didn't seem to mind his look of contempt.

"What's wrong, Ozpin? Can't handle my unrivaled force?" she teased.

He smiled. "If it's so unrivaled, then you wouldn't have come to attack now of all times. You need our supplies, don't you? Is the Grimm threat reducing your stores to nothing? That's what happens when you attempt to maintain an army of this size during such trying times."

He was happy to see that her smile disappeared. "I suppose I need to come up with a painful way to kill you, don't I?"

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" cried Jaune as he and the rest of team JNPR ran to stand in front of Ozpin.

"Oh, God," Cinder stated flatly, almost in a disgusted tone. "They're multiplying."

"Mind if we cut in, sir?" Jaune asked.

Ozpin's eyes, narrowed. "You may not, young man." Jaune was about to protest when Ozpin stepped up next to him, his cane at the ready. "Too long have I stood on the sidelines, Mr. Arc. You may not fight in my _stead_, but you are welcome to fight by my side."

Pyrrha smiled. "It would be an honor, sir," she stated.

Cinder smiled as well. "My my, aren't you a couple of very pretty ladies," she stated, referring to Pyrrha and Nora. "You'd both make very lovely corpses as well. Boys? Kill them all. Start with our two blossoming flowers, won't you?"

"Yes ma'am!" chimed her soldiers before they charged team JNPR.

Jaune smiled. "Nora?"

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Plan G."

"Aye-aye!" she cheered. "Operation Guns Blazing!" Magnhild formed its hammer shape, and she slammed it into the ground just as she pulled the trigger. Jaune, Ren, and Pyrrha all leapt right before the impact, and Ozpin followed suit by example. In that same instant, the grenade launched by Magnhild detonated and created a violent shockwave in the ground. The soldiers that were charging couldn't keep their footing and stumbled to the ground.

Team JNPR, and Ozpin, landed safely as the shockwave dissipated, leaving the enemy in a state of confusion on the ground. Without any order from Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren all went weapon's free as they unloaded on the enemy, while Jaune stood patiently with his sword drawn. A few of the soldier that weren't being gunned down had recovered and charged at them once more. While the others were firing upon the confused ones, Jaune cut down each one that made it too close to his team.

Ozpin grinned. _You've come a long way, Mr. Arc._ Raising his cane, he began to help Jaune dispatch any soldier that made it too close.

Cinder's eyes narrowed as she watched the two opposing sides battle. "This is more interesting than I thought it would be."

* * *

Blake was getting tired. She was used to having to function over a long period of time, but she'd never had to fight an army before. It wasn't helping that her numbers were dwindling. They had already lost two huntsmen out of the group of six; Leo Brauns was one of them. The other was a rat faunus, but Blake couldn't remember his name. She was sure that she knew it, but the chaos of battle clouded her memory, forcing her to rely on her instincts and focus on the battle at hand.

"I think we're in trouble," Alegra commented as they fought harder and harder to hold off the army of White Fang. This wasn't the same White Fang that Blake remembered; this was a White Fang that was forced to grow stronger due to the Grimm threat. This wasn't just a siege for the sake of destroying Beacon; they were fighting for their survival, just like those from Beacon were.

"We can do this," Blake stated, trying to encourage her comrades to try harder. "We've been training for days like these! They're just...just a bunch of terrorists!" She hated to use that term to describe her own former organization, but now wasn't the time to discuss such things. All that mattered was surviving today. If she could keep herself and as many of her friends as she could alive, then she could be pleased with their efforts.

"I certainly hope so! I'm getting tired," Alegra replied. A gunshot, much louder than the others in the battle, echoed around them. In that same instant, a sword hit Alegra in the stomach, pommel first. She doubled over in pain and coughed up a glob of mucus and blood. Blake witnessed this, seemingly in slow motion, and horror took control of her soul; she recognized that sword.

Almost as if he had been summoned by Blake's thoughts, a bull faunus with a mask on his face appeared in front of Alegra. He grabbed the blade and twirled it, swiftly striking the ferret faunus's neck; a spray of blood, followed by a wet gurgling, signaled the girl's death. He turned to face Blake, who stared horrified to his right. "Hello, Blake," he said, sounding slightly surprised.

Blake's eyes narrowed in anger. "Adam," she whispered violently. That one uttering of his name meant a thousand things to Blake; the return of an old friend, the painful memories that came with him, and hundreds of violent curses that she wished upon him at this very moment.

He stared at Blake and glanced at Alegra's body, and then he returned his gaze to Blake. Sighing, he spoke. "I knew I should have gone after you. I wouldn't have to fight you then."

"You're a fool, then, if you think that I would've stayed with the White Fang!" she answered angrily.

"You're right. I am a fool." He readied his sword. "I take it that you won't be wanting to catch up? Or maybe talk this over like a pair of civilized faunus?"

"There's nothing civilized about you!" she spat as she lunged, swiping at his torso with her cleaver. Parrying, he returned the swing with one of his own, which she blocked as well. Sparks flying, the old partners dueled furiously, forcing the other combatants in the area to disperse to avoid from getting caught in the crossfire.

"Can't you see we're in a global crisis?" Blake asked, demanding an answer. "What kind of civilized person attacks others when the entire world could be devoured by Grimm?"

Adam clenched his teeth angrily, bringing his sword down over his head. Blake blocked it, but now the two were face to face, just inches away. "I know! I'm doing what I have to do to survive! You used to do what you had to do, and steal what you needed to steal to survive. What makes you so noble now?"

"The desire to help people!" she spat, forcing him to step back away from her. "I have friends here, Adam! Friends who are helping me survive, and I'm helping them survive in turn!"

He pointed at Alegra's body. "And a fine job you're doing."

Blake growled angrily and charged. "She was a _faunus_! You swore to protect our kind!"

"I've done all I can. The Grimm are doing more than humanity ever did to destroy us, and that makes me rethink my priorities. I don't care about my _people_ anymore. I care about me, and those close to me. That's it!" He lunged at her. "That's all that matters!" Disarming Blake, he swung for the kill. "And I'll eliminate you if it means that I can survive!"

Blake, weaponless, flinched as she expected the killing blow and closed her eyes. She heard a loud yell, followed by a pained grunt. She opened her eyes to see that Sun had leapt in and kicked Adam's face, cracking his mask. "We're here, Blake!" he said, sounding happier than he had any right to be.

"We?" Blake asked, confused.

"Yes," said a pair of female voices in unison. Blake turned to see the Malachite sisters as they walked up to stand beside her. Militia, the youngest as Blake recalled, handed over Gambol Shround. "You dropped this."

"Th-thanks," Blake stammered.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Adam asked the three newcomers. "I can easily handle all three of you."

"You're welcome to try," Melanie stated smugly.

"Cute," Adam stated sarcastically. "I suppose I'll kill you first." He leapt at her with hostile intent.

Sun stepped in front of her and swung his staff, clipping Adam's jaw. "Go fuck yourself!" he exclaimed. Breaking the staff into the two shot-gun-chuks, Sun stood ready to take on Adam for a second round. Melanie smiled, silently thanking any god she could think of for letting Militia and Sun find each other.

"You okay?" Militia asked both Sun and her elder sister, both of whom nodded.

Adam wiped his chin with his fist, and was irritated to see a small trace of blood. "So be it. You all die." He charged and began to fighting Sun, Melanie, and Militia at the same time. The three of them were barely able to keep up with his speed and were surprised to see him actively attempting to take on all three of them. Due to the three of them being crowded around him, Blake was able to contribute to the fight without accidentally hurting one of her allies.

No one seemed to have the upper hand over the bull faunus; his skills were exceptional. In a single swipe with the scabbard of his sword, he managed to knock all three of them back. This same motion caused Sun's nose to be broken, spurting blood, and Militia to double over from being hit in the stomach. The only one not fully incapacitated was Melanie, who was forced to stumble backwards. Smiling, Adam drew his blade and spun backwards, forcing the sword into Melanie's chest. "Ghugh!" she grunted violently, staring at the blade that had penetrated her. She coughed up blood, and her eyelids started to feel heavy.

Adam smirked. "I told you. I'd kill you first." Pulling the sword out, he flicked his wrist to swipe the blade across her throat just to be sure that there was no saving her. Gargling grossly as blood poured from her throat and chest, Melanie collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

Militia screamed and fell to her knees in horror. This pleased Adam more than anything he had done all day. His moment of pleasure was cut short, however, but a sudden feeling of being cold. He looked down and saw Blake's katana protruding from his chest; she had stabbed him the back. He was so preoccupied with having killed Melanie that he didn't feel the blade enter his body. She slid it out and he collapsed from blood loss.

Sun wanted to kill him, but he knew Blake had it under control; he needed to go to Militia. Blake stepped over Adam's body and was surprised to find him still conscious. His mask had fallen off when he fell, so she looked into his real eyes for the first time in what felt like an eternity. "You know," he coughed. "I should have went with you. It might have been more fun that way."

Blake glared at him angrily. "It's too late to tell me you're sorry, or to confess your regrets. You've killed my friends. You're fate it sealed." She raised her cleaver up, prepared to end Adam's existence.

Still smiling, Adam said, "At least you're the one to kill me. I wouldn't have it any other way." Without any more hesitation, Blake removed his head.

She turned to Sun and Militia and approached them. The two were crying and hugging each other. Blake knelt and joined them for a moment; there were no other soldiers around at the moment to worry about. After a moment of hugging, Sun turned his head to Blake. "Go," he said. "I'm sure the others will need your help. I'll stay here with Militia."

Blake nodded and turned to see team JNPR squaring off against Cinder, and she decided that she would go and help them.

* * *

Ember Rose fired incendiary rounds at Ruby's enemies with every squeeze of the trigger. If anyone got too close to her, the burning hot blade would melt their flesh as she sawed into them, ripping bones from their joints in the process. Ruby's memory told her that this battle was supposed to be gruesome, so she didn't see any reason to hold back when Cinder had plenty of troops to spare.

Another soldier, this one being one of Junior's old flunkies, charged Ruby foolishly. Spinning, she caught the man's ribs with the blunt side of her scythe, cracking some ribs in the process. A pained gasp exited his throat before the jagged blade tore into it. Ruby stepped back to observe the battle around her; the enemy had wizened up and were avoiding her. She saw Blake and Velvet, as well as a few others, fighting a single red haired man with a sword. Nodding, Ruby turned to find Ozpin, Glynda, and team JNPR fighting a group of soldiers in front of Cinder herself.

Ruby smiled maliciously. _Jackpot._ Reloading Ember Rose, she was about to make a mad dash to engage the witch in person, but the sound of Roman calling her name caused her to pause. "Red!" he called as he ran to her, panting and exhausted. "Have you seen Weiss?" Ruby shook her head. "Then I suggest you turn around. She's having some issues." He pointed behind her.

Ruby turned around and searched the carnage for her partner. Weiss looked exhausted, but she wasn't letting up as she slashed and stabbed every one of Cinder's men that approached her. Every few moves she would turn a certain direction and fire a line a ice at an unknown target before returning to any charging soldiers. "She's tired, but she's handling herself well enough. What of her?" Ruby asked.

"Look who she keeps trying to freeze," Roman stated.

Ruby followed the trails of ice and her eyes widened at the sight she beheld. There, fighting her fellow comrades, was Penny. Blades extended, she twisted and turned her body to dodge every strike aimed at her, while simultaneously dictating the blades to slash and cut whatever she wanted. Penny wasn't supposed to be here. Honestly, Ruby didn't know where Penny was supposed to be at all, but her memory told her that here at this battle was most definitely not where she should be. For all Ruby knew, Penny could have died or fled in her premonition, yet here she was. Ruby's brows scrunched together in irritated confusion before she growled angrily. "Cinder," she whispered. "This must he be her fault!"

"That goes without saying," Roman answered hastily, feeling nervous. "Are we going to help the Princess or not?" Ruby nodded, and the two sprinted to aid Weiss.

"Weiss!" Ruby called as they approached. "What's going on?"

Weiss stood doubled over with her hands on her knees, panting heavily; her stamina was wearing thin, and her semblance would soon suffer for it. Catching her breath, the white haired girl look up from her position into Ruby's eyes. "Penny...came out of nowhere...attacked us...she's ignoring me. Can't...figure out why," she explained, pausing for much needed air frequently. "Why didn't you warn us about Penny?"

Ruby sighed. "Because she wasn't involved at all. I didn't know she would be here because we never saw her in my premonition."

Weiss stood straight, Myrtenaster in hand. "We have to stop her. She's killing just about everyone she starts fighting."

Ruby stood there and watched Penny brutally fight and dismember any who crossed her path, the red hooded girl's face portrayed a mixture of horror, confusion, and sadness. "You said she was ignoring you?" Weiss nodded. "I may know why."

She started to walk slowly towards Penny. "Red," Roman warned. "Don't let her hurt you."

"She won't," was all Ruby said as she walked. She eyed the ground, finding chunks of flesh, pools of blood, and plenty of wounded and worse laying on the ground. Ruby paused and eyed one corpse. She didn't know the girl that lay lifeless on the ground, but she knew of her; Weiss had become friends with her not long ago. Luna stared at Ruby with empty, soulless eyes; her torso had been slashed and stabbed. She likely had been hit in the heart. Ruby prayed silently that it was a painless death. Facing forward, she continued to make her way to Penny.

The red haired girl seemed to not notice her at first; she fought and annihilated another huntsmen before turning to face her next foe, only to find that it was Ruby. Penny's violent, destructive eyes softened to a more friendly appearance. "Hello, Ruby my friend! How are you doing today?"

Ruby resisted the urge to angrily yell at Penny. The girl clearly didn't fully understand what she was doing. "I'm...decent, Penny. Just trying to save as many of my friends as I can today."

"Don't worry, Ruby. I'm sure they're all fine. I've been making sure that Weiss doesn't get hurt while I did my job." It hurt Ruby to see Penny refer to her carnage as a 'job', and all with a joyful smile on her face.

"What about my friends outside of team RWBY?"

Penny stared curiously at Ruby. "You mean me? Or that Sun fellow?"

"No, Penny," Ruby stated flatly. "I mean Aric. I mean Luna. I mean everyone who you've cut down."

To Ruby's surprise, this actually seemed to emotionally hurt Penny. She looked at the carnage around her. "These...these were _your_ friends?" she asked sadly. Ruby nodded. "That...the master had it wrong? But...she told me...she told me..."

"She told you what, Penny?"

"She said that she wanted to visit Beacon, but that there were too many people in the way. She said we had to eliminate many of them, but I was allowed to let my friends live." Penny looked at Ruby. "Did she lie to me, Ruby?"

Ruby nodded. "Cinder is a liar, Penny. She's a liar with a dangerous ambition. You see this battle?" She gestured around the school with her hands, making sure that Penny saw Cinder's soldiers destroying the school, fighting tooth and nail with the huntsmen and huntresses that manned it. "I saw this in a vision, Penny. You're not supposed to be here. She changed your fate by lying to you. She's ignoring the Grimm menace. She would rather see Beacon burn to the ground than try to save the world."

"She said that the Grimm would go away eventually," Penny stated sadly.

"She might be right about that," Ruby agreed. "But 'eventually' could be hundreds of years. We have to fight to survive, but Cinder would rather let everything die."

Penny lowered her head. "I...I only agreed to help her because of you, Ruby. I knew that you went to Beacon. I wanted to see you again, and make sure that you were safe. I wanted to see your smile, to hear Weiss get frustrated, to see Blake shake her head in amused disdain, and I wanted to hear Yang's laugh." A single tear rolled down Penny's cheek. "Instead, I've made things worse for the four of you."

Ruby's heart ached. "Penny," she said sadly. "Have you not heard yet? Haven't you heard the news about Yang?"

Penny met Ruby's eyes and shook her head. "No, I have not. Why? What sort of news is it?"

Ruby fought back the tears. She'd gone through her sister's death twice, once in the dream and once for real, but it didn't make it any easier. Her newfound strength to fight back and destroy the Grimm still wasn't enough to make her numb to the loss. "Yang died, Penny."

Much like it was to Ruby, the news was like a bombshell to Penny. "W-w-when?" Penny rushed to Ruby and grabbed her shoulders. "When did this happen? How did it happen?" She sounded frantic. Many of the surviving huntsmen and huntresses were surrounding Ruby and Penny, considering their odds of killing Penny, but Weiss motioned for them to stand down, and to instead go and help anyone fighting Cinder's soldiers; Penny was no longer a threat to the former students of Beacon.

Ruby lost her battle with her emotions, as the tears began to pour from her eyes. "About a week ago, maybe more or less. I've lost track of the days," she choked. "She died protecting me and the rest of team RWBY." Penny began to cry, and she hugged Ruby, squeezing her tightly. Ruby cried as well, and returned the hug. Yang would used to stroke Ruby's hair and whispers comforting words in her ear at times like this, so Ruby felt the need to do the same. As Penny's crying grew louder, Ruby started hushing her gently. "Shh. It's okay, Penny. We can still protect the others."

"No! It's not okay! Yang's gone, and now I've killed more of your friends, Ruby!"

"It's not your fault. This is because of Cinder. You didn't understand what you were doing, Penny. It's okay." Ruby stepped back away from Penny to allow the two girls to have their private space once again. "All we have to do is kill Cinder, and this battle will dissolve. We'll rebuild, and restore our attention to the _real_ problem."

"The Grimm?" Penny asked.

Ruby nodded. "The Grimm." Readying Ember Rose, Ruby and Penny turned and approached Weiss and Roman. "Let's go," Ruby stated coldly, and the two followed her. Roman knew where they were headed; they were going to confront Cinder.

* * *

_Song: Nightmare-Avenged Sevenfold_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE  
**

Oh my god this took so freaking long to write. Would you believe that I'm submitting it right now not because it's done, but because I decided I didn't want you to have to read a possible 10,000 word chapter. It's already at around 5,000 words. This chapter was meant to be called "Gluttony Fang" because, spoiler alert, Cerberus was supposed to show up, but I ran out of 'room' for it, so I've split one massive chapter in half. I'll get the next one out eventually, but I'm not going to use 'Gluttony Fang' anymore. I'm just gonna keep using the name's I've got written down because they'll fit no matter what. I actually have a playlist on my iTunes with every song that's in this story. Most of the songs are interchangeable with any chapter, due to the way I've written it...that or I'm crazy and shouldn't be trusted. I'm okay with that too.

FUN FACT: I've had a pretty shitty week at work. I dropped my dad's new iPhone on a concrete floor (it miraculously as NO scratches or cracks...thank God.), I banged my head on some playground equipment that we helped put together (and thank God we weren't a major part of that operation, because the people in charge should be fired and fined. That playground is barely bolted together and looks like it'll fall apart at the slightest gust of wind.), and lastly, but most certainly not least, I was picking up some old boards to throw away and I stepped on a rusty nail. I rusty, fucking nail. It went through my boot and barely broke the skin to my foot before I stepped away. Granted, it doesn't look like much of a wound, but if stepping on legos (which don't break the skin) hurt like hell, I want you to imagine having a sensation that's about 25 times worse, and it actually enters your skin. It hurt. I'm still limping.

I'll have the next chapter out as soon as I can. What with work and chores and stuff, I don't have a whole lot of free time to write these days, but I still try! Till next time!

PS: Regarding the character deaths in this chapter...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm really, really sorry...because there are more to die soon enough.


	14. Chapter 13: You Know What You Are

Chapter 13: You Know What You Are

Cinder was angry. Rather, 'angry' was a very subtle, and maybe understated way of describing her current mood. If she were to describe it herself, she would say that she was absolutely livid. That's still putting it mildly. She wasn't angry at any apparent failings, either. If nothing else, her invasion of Beacon seemed to be going off without a hitch. However, it appeared to her that Ozpin, Glynda, and their former students, simply refused to die.

These children, for that's all Cinder could see when she looked upon team JNPR, were dominating every soldier that assaulted them. Ozpis and Glynda were fighting as well, but his former students seemed to be doing most of the work. Cinder glared at the six of them. "How much longer are you going to prolong the inevitable?" she asked smugly.

Jaune smiled as he glanced around. Team JNPR had just dispatched what seemed to be the last of Cinder's guards. "I think we're winning," he stated.

"And what would make you think such a preposterous notion to be true?"

"See for yourself." He motioned to his left and right. From his left, Blake was approaching with Gambol Shroud at the ready. Her clothes were dirty, and there were tears in her legging and boots, but her face displayed pure determination in the face of destruction. Ruby, Roman, Weiss, and Penny approached from the right. They were in as much of a distressed state as Blake, with the exception of a flawless Penny.

Cinder's glare shot daggers at Penny. This, to her, was actually a surprise. The red haired girl had been in Cinder's control for months, since her original master met with an unfortunate 'accident'. Cinder gave the girl a new life and a new purpose, yet here she stood. "Penny," she said coldly. "Just what do you think you're doing with the enemy?"

Penny seemed nervous to Ruby at first, but she mustered up the courage to answer. "Ruby is not my enemy," she stated flatly. "Ruby, Weiss, and Blake are my friends. These," she pointed at team JNPR, Ozpin, and Glynda. "Are my friends' friends. I don't want to hurt any of them anymore."

"Oh?" Cinder asked, a trace of her rage seeping into her voice. "And why is that?"

"Because I don't want to hurt my friends!"

Cinder wanted so badly to destroy them all right then and there, and likely would have if it weren't for the fact that she still wanted to use Penny. She hid her anger once more and put on a mask of dissapointment and sadness. Placing her left hand on her forehead as if to rub away a headache, she shook her head and said, "Tsk, tsk, Penny. And after all I did for you. Remember when you found your master's body and you didn't know what to do? You were scared and alone, unsure how to carry on living without someone to take care of you. But I found you, didn't I? I've taken very, _very_ good care of you, have I not?"

Penny looked unsure as to how to answer. "Y-yes...but..."

"All I asked in return was that you help me achieve my goal. It's a simple goal, and one I could have done without you, but I asked this of you as a favor to repay my kindness. Is it really so hard to do what I ask?"

Penny was feeling scared. She didn't want to anger the person who had taken care of her, but neither did she want to do as Cinder said to and kill her own friends. She cared to much for Ruby and the others to do that. Ruby stepped up and placed a hand on Penny's shoulder, giving her reassurance that this was the right thing to do. Penny looked to her friend and gave her a weak smile before nodding.

Ruby nodded in return and stepped up to speak. "Cinder Fall," she said, using a commanding tone that few had ever heard her use. "I accuse you of crimes against Remnant. Your destruction of one of the few bastions of safety and complete disregard for the sanctity of life prove that you are not taking the Grimm threat seriously, and that you believe humanity and faunus will make it out of this without having to fight back. You are wrong. We will all die if no one can fight back, and you are destroying that which stands up against the Grimm!"

Cinder scoffed. "The Grimm? Seriously? They're just beasts! The way I see it, its supposed to be a huntress's job to hunt them down and eliminate them before a crisis like this ever arises in the first place. The Grimm will go away in time. Of that I have no doubts. I just decided to take this opportunity to destroy my enemies. The Grimm shrink our own population just enough to allow me to get by with it, and you're too distracted to be able to prepare yourself properly. It's a win-win situation for a woman in my position."

"All the same," Ruby replied. "We're going to kill you." She spoke with a dark, serious tone. Yet again, this was a tone that many had never heard Ruby speak with before. Jaune and the others of team JNPR were appalled, but quickly covered up their reactions; this fight was about to get more serious than it had been moments ago.

Cinder stared at Ruby for a few seconds. Several emotions seemed to pass over her face; anger, intrigue, and finally amusement. She tilted her head to the sky and roared with laughter. All of them watched her, not sure what to expect. "_You_ are going to kill _me_?" she asked, still laughing. She calmed down and looked at Ozpin gravely. "I don't think you fully understand the situation you're in, kids." Raising her hand, she created what appeared to be a spear made of fire. "You seem to have forgotten who you're dealing with!" She threw the spear at team JNPR, hurdling it at Nora.

Team RWBY was caught off guard, and couldn't react in time. The spear was moving too fast for Nora to dodge, and she was already too exhausted to raise up her aura; it was going to hit it's mark. Fearfully, she shut her eyes and waited for the searing pain. She heard a grunt, followed by several gasps of horror, but felt no pain or heat. Slowly she opened her eyes. Before her was a sight that was worse than death; Ren had stepped in front of the searing spear. The fiery instrument faded from existence, and the green shirted young man collapsed to the ground. "Ren!" Nora screamed, rushing to his side. His chest was smoldering and his eyes were closed, but he didn't express any pain. "Ren, open your eyes! Please! Please, say something!"

"N-Nora," he whispered, struggling for air. He barely opened his eyes as he reached up to stroke the red head's cheek. "I love you."

Nora smiled as tears welled up in her eyes. "I know, Ren."

"I...didn't want to regret not telling you, either. I...love you, Nora."

The tears flowed freely. "I...know," she choked. "You never had to say it, Ren."

His eyes closed. "Yes, I did." A slow breath exited from his nose, but he never inhaled another; he was gone.

Nora yelled as she cried. None could tell if there were any words in her scream or not, but they knew the message that the shout held. Finally, she went silent, and everyone stood still and watched. "Come back," she whispered after what felt like an eternity. "Please...come back."

Ruby shifted her eyes back to Cinder, who erupted with laughter just seconds prior. "You monster!" she cried. "He wasn't supposed to die! He's one of the survivors!"

Cinder laughed even harder. "A fine job he's doing," she stated between her fits.

Ruby took a step forward, Ember Rose in hand, and she prepared to fight Cinder. She was stopped, however, by the strong hand of Penny who held her still. Without a moment's notice, Penny deployed her blades and charged Cinder at a speed that rivaled Ruby's. Silently, the red head seemed to fly at the flame with, and she was fully prepared to end Cinder's existence. In the blink of an eye, however, Cinder seemed to flash out of existence and back in, holding penny's right arm behind the girl's back. A quick tug of her arm caused Penny to gasp in sudden pain.

Cinder glared down at Penny, squeezing tightly on her arm. "It's such a pity. Such an expensive piece of machinery is going to waste, simply because it refuses to do what I tell it to do."

Penny's eyes went wide. "N-no!"

"No?" Cinder asked, almost sarcastically, before laughing. "You mean, _they_ don't know?" She motioned to Ruby and the others. "You never _told_ them?" She laughed even harder than before. "Oh, this is _rich_! You say that they're your friends, yet you won't even trust them with the truth!"

"They, AH! Didn't need to know!"

Everyone looked nervously back and forth to each other, unsure of how to get Penny back to safety. "Didn't need to know what?" Ruby asked, ever the curious one.

"N-nothing!"

Cinder pulled tighter on Penny's arm, eliciting another cry of pain. "Don't lie, Penny. It's rude to deceive your friends. So, go on. Tell them! Tell them about how you're not _real_."

"No!"

"You're just a tool designed by an eccentric. You entire existence is based upon a series of equations and a pile of scrap!"

"No!" Penny denied again.

"A doll! The plaything of scientists! Just a puppet on a lonely string, destined to be forever a freak! Even the pain you feel right now isn't real!"

"No!"

Cinder smiled more maliciously than ever. "And to beat it all, you're a malfunctioned product. If your _maker_ hadn't been killed by me, he'd likely have dismantled you to build a better model!" She raised her other hand, lighting a ball of fire in it. "And like all malfunctioning parts, one must remove it!" She brought the ball of fire down onto Penny's right shoulder and began to pull even harder.

Penny screamed. The pain was like nothing she'd ever felt before. The heat was intense, burning through her shirt and flesh. She could feel her arm growing softer as it warmed, and finally lost all feeling beyond her right shoulder as Cinder pulled tighter and tighter. Finally, she ripped off Penny's arm; molten metal and melted cables sprayed into the air, along with burning lubricating oil.

Cinder spun around and kicked Penny in the gut with her right leg, sending her flying backwards before landing right in front of Ruby. "Penny!" Ruby yelled, rushing to her friend's aid. She knelt and lifted the girl's head up off the ground and gently smacked her cheek. "Penny, are you okay? Penny?"

Her face was covered in tears and hot oil. She opened her eyes and saw Ruby. "I...I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry. For everything."

Ruby turned her head to look at the place where Penny's arm should have been, and what she saw surprised her; robotic joints, ball bearings, small hydraulic pistons, and electrical cables poked out of her torso, melted and warped due to the heat. "Penny," Ruby started. "You're a robot?"

Penny nodded. "I didn't want you to think less of me because I'm not a real person."

Ruby teared up. "Penny, that's ridiculous. Saying that you aren't a real person is like saying Blake isn't a real person. You're just different. Aren't we all?"

"But...I'm not normal."

Ruby tried to smile. "What _is_ normal?" She grabbed Penny's left hand. "Can you stand?"

"I...I think so. Thank you, Ruby." She stood up, and the two glared at Cinder.

"See," she said. "Admit it, Penny. You know what you are! You're just a disposable piece of trash."

"If that's what she is," Blake interjected. "Then I'd hate to see how people will describe you."

"Ruby," Nora whispered. Everyone turned to face her. She was still knelt down with Ren's body. "She tried to kill Penny. She tried to kill Ozpin. She tried to kill me." Slowly standing, she held Magnhild. The sound of it transforming into hammer mode was ominous at best. "She _did_ kill Ren." Turning her head to face Cinder, everyone saw the pain and anger in her eyes. "Let's destroy her."

Cinder began to laugh. "I'd love to see you try!" Her laughter continued, which made her oblivious to the next sound; howling.

Ruby felt a chill run down her spine. She readied Ember Rose and looked around, waiting for something to happen. _What the hell is going on?_ The others were reacting similarly. Nora, fueled by rage, didn't look worried; she was looking for something to crush beneath her hammer.

"Hm?" Cinder said as she stopped laughing. "Oh, the howling has you scared, does it? That's the least of your worries. It's only a few Beowolves. They smell the blood of your comrades, and they've come to feast. And what a buffet I've lined up for them. I'll kill you all and be on my way well before they ever enter the campus."

"Not likely," Ruby stated coldly. She turned to face Cinder, and her eyes went wide. "No," she whispered.

Everyone else followed Ruby's gaze and gave an audible gasp. "What? Am I really that intimidating?" Cinder asked smugly.

"I think not," a deep, almost demonic voice answered.

"Huh?" Cinder turned to look behind her, where the voice came from, and directly behind her was _something's _right paw. It was massive, and the sight of it frightened her. _What's it attached to?_ she thought, fearful. She gazed up and met the three heads of Cerberus baring his fangs.

"You've done well, witch. Now, the feast can truly begin."

Cinder stepped away from it. "Wh-what the fuck are you?" Without answering, Cerberus swept Cinder up with his left paw, almost as if he was cradling an infant. Tossing her into the air, he opened his mouth. "No!" she screamed in the air, frantically trying to do something, anything, to get away. She fell into the middle of his three great mouths. "No~!" was the last thing the warriors of Beacon heard from her as Cerberus closed his jaws tightly. Her right hand was held up moments before the teeth shut, and upon closing it was severed. Gulping, Cerberus swallowed her whole without chewing.

Everyone looked on in horror as Cerberus shifted his gaze to them. All except for Ruby and Nora, that is. Nora's grip on her hammer tightened, and Ruby started to shake. Weiss approached, barely aware of her own actions, in attempt to ease Ruby's fear. She was about to put a hand on Ruby's shoulder when she saw rose petals floating around her leader. That's when Weiss noticed Ruby's eyes; blood red where the irises, and a rage that would burn a nation resided within. Ruby wasn't scared, but furious.

Cerberus laughed, pleased by the varied reactions. His right and left head reared to the sky and bellowed a howling war cry, which was answered by the howls of Beowolves just outside of Beacon; they were close. The middle head parted its lips and yelled, "Feast!" Beowolves leapt from behind the wall and entered the school; the huntsmen and huntresses who were exhausted from Cinder's army were once again fighting for their lives, and the surviving members of the witch's army were forced to defend themselves in place of attacking the school.

Ozpin stepped forward. "Penny," he began. "Are you truly sorry for what you've done? Do you regret killing my former students?"

She recognized his voice of authority and stood straighter. "Yes, sir," she replied.

"Then repent. We are fewer in number now, and we are exhausted and stretched thin. Protect as many of us as you can and fight off the Grimm. We'll handle Cerberus."

"Roger!" she answered, going into mission mode. She would have saluted, but she remembered in that same moment that her arm was gone. She nodded to Ruby, and with blades deployed she launched into her new battle to defend her friends.

"Everyone," Ozpin adressed the others. "Fight well, and fight hard. This battle is a turn in the road of time that has not been taken before. We must meet our unknown fates with courage and honor."

"Amen," Roman said. He looked up at Cerberus, and the only thing he could think of was _The Inferno_. Without realizing, he recited a verse from memory. "_I discern new torments, and new tormented souls, whithersoever I move, and turn, and gaze. I am in the Third Circle, that of eternal, accursed, cold, and heavy rain; its law and quality is never new_."

Blake smiled. "Canto VI. A classic."

"Not meant to be a book club meeting, I'm afraid," Roman retorted. "We can talk about Dante later."

"Enough sitting around!" Ruby yelled. Revving up the heated blade, she charged the three headed beast. Weiss poised herself for combat and used her Glyphs to match Ruby's speed. Blake split Gambol Shroud into its two blades and charged with them. Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora leapt into battle without a second thought.

"Glynda," Ozpin started.

"Yes?" she asked, prepared for battle.

"Help the students. I'll fight here."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Go." She gave him a brief hug before leaping away to fight Beowolves. Ozpin watched as his former students engaged Cerberus. "I'm done with hiding from you monsters," he whispered. Cane at the ready, he noticed Roman still standing with him. "Ready?"

Roman smiled. If he still had his hat, he'd have tipped it. "Always." The two men raised their weaponized canes and charged the field of battle.

Ruby leapt up and slashed at the beast's heads, burning at its flesh with every slice and tear of its dark skin. The others assaulted it as well, but Ruby paid little mind to them. This was the monster that was responsible for Yang's death. It may not have killed her itself, but it commanded the Grim that did kill her. That was a crime that Ruby could never forgive. To her, this wasn't just any ordinary Grimm in the sense that it was a monster. As extraordinary as Cerberus was, Ruby saw it as the Devil himself. The only difference was that, unlike the Devil, she _knew_ that Cerberus could be killed. She wasn't at the mission where Beacon's huntsmen and huntresses killed it in her premonition, but she knew for a fact that after heavy casualties, the beast was brought down. She just had to do that same thing.

And in her rage, she was convinced that it would only be a matter of time.

Cerberus seemed only mildly annoyed initially, but was soon feeling the pain of being bombarded by so many at once. He decided, in that moment, to begin eliminating the hunters. With a swat, as though at a fly, he knocked Pyrrha and Blake down and unconscious. The others continued to attack ruthlessly, and Cerberus became more annoyed. He used his right paw to smack Jaune away mid-jump, breaking his sword arm. Weiss attempted to attack it from behind, but Cerberus's tail shoved her to the side and disarmed her. Ruby, Nora, Roman, and Ozpin were the last one's still fighting.

Roman and Nora stood side by side, firing at Cerberus with everything they had. Nora yelled a ferocious battle cry all the while, and Ruby and Ozpin charged at Cerberus, ready to try and bring the beast down. They leapt, weapons at the ready.

Cerberus laughed with its middle mouth. Bringing both paws up, it knocked Ruby back to the ground while simultaneously grabbing Ozpin between them. There was a sudden, loud cracking sound, followed by Ozpin yelling in sharp pain; his ribs had been broken. The middle head continued its laughter for a few more seconds. "Feast," it said coldly.

"Is that all you know how to do!" Ozpin spat, defiant in the grip of his enemy. Angry, the middle mouth opened its gaping maw and plunged Ozpin's head into it before clamping down as hard as it could. Ozpin's aura flared to life, stopping the teeth just inches away from his neck. The others raced to try to help him, but Cerberus used his other two heads and his tail to fend them off expertly.

"Feast!" it repeated, clamping down even harder.

Ozpin wiggled and struggled, trying to break free. With every movement his ribs hurt more, and his aura weakened a little bit. He saw that this was his final moment. "Ruby!" He yelled, attempting to keep his voice calm in face of death. He was short on time, and so he didn't wait for her to reply before he said, "You haven't failed. Not yet. So long as you live, you have a chance to change the future. You can still save Remnant." He closed his eyes. "I'll tell Yang you said hello."

Ruby's eyes went wide. _Not him too!_ "Ozpin!" she cried, extending her arm out, reaching for him. In that moment, Ozpin's aura completely failed, and Cerberus bit off his head. Satisfied that his foe was finally dead, Cerberus tossed the headless corpse to the side and laughed.

Ruby was enraged.

* * *

Penny was tired. She'd never felt tired before, but she assumed it was the loss of lubricating oil that made her feel this way. Much like humans and faunus needed blood to function, without the oil her limbs would seize up and she would collapse. But that would be a problem for later. Cinder was right, she did know what she was. But that wasn't going to stop her. She had to redeem herself and protect the other the rest of Beacon. Even for just a little bit of time, she had to make her body work.

It didn't matter that she was a doll anymore. She realized that know. _You can dress it all up and try to pretend_, she thought. _But you can't change anything. Just accept it, and be stronger for it_. With that mindset, she felt as though she could single handedly destroy all of the Grimm that attacked her. She knew she wouldn't be able to, though. There were far too many of them.

If she were human, she'd likely have been killed and eaten by now. In all honesty, she wouldn't have survived having her arm ripped off if she were human, but that was a different matter altogether when you looked at the Grimm she was fighting. Decapitate that one, disembowel that one, dice this one; they just kept coming. Surviving members of Beacon attempted to fight back as well, but they were too tired or too injured to be effective. Penny saw only one option. "Everyone," she yelled. "Get away! Take cover!" Surprisingly, they obeyed and fled from her without knowing what she had planned.

Penny stood still and stared down the Grimm. Anytime one tried to chase the fleeing hunters, she would stop it with her blades. "I am you _only_ opponent," she challenged. In her mouth, she wiggled her tongue around until she found the switch hidden under one of her back teeth. Using her tongue, she clicked the switch. In her head, she could see a countdown timer. She confirmed her decision with her pass code, and the timer started to count down.

Five.

Penny leapt at the Grimm and swung with all her might with her swords, killing many of them.

Four.

Two Beowolves jumped on her and began biting her remaining limbs. Ignoring the pain that was being simulated, she kicked and cut them off before charging at them and fighting their brethren.

Three.

She was preparing herself mentally. Killing as many Grimm as possible that were this far in while chasing and luring the others away from the campus center was difficult, but she was managing well enough. She smiled, knowing her plan was working.

Two.

She silently regretted not being a real living creature. Sure, she accepted her difference now, but the fact was that she was as soulless as the Grimm she was killing; there would be no afterlife for her. All that waited for her was the void of nothingness.

One.

Still, she could be happy with the life she led. She only wished she could have seen Yang once more. She looked around amidst the chaos; she had successfully lured most of the Grimm to her and was tactfully fending them off, though she'd normally be unable to kill them all. Not without this little feature of her.

Zero.

"I'm sorry, Ruby," she whispered, closing her eyes just before the bomb detonated. The explosion destroyed what was left of her body, and obliterated all of the nearby Grimm. Penny was happy to help. Odd. She could still be happy? She shouldn't exist anymore. Where was the lack of sensation? Where was the nothingness? She opened her eyes slowly and saw a beautiful figure.

"Hello, Penny," Yang said. "Thank you for helping my sister."

Penny was shocked, but she felt a warm sensation, and happiness welled up in her being. "Yang?" she asked.

She nodded. "Come on," she said. "It's time to rest." She held out her right hand.

Penny looked to her own right and saw that she once again had her arm; whole and undamaged. She smiled and accepted Yang's hand, and the warm feeling spread to her entire being. Penny was ready to rest.

* * *

Ruby heard the explosion, and she turned to see what it was; she immediately knew that it was Penny. She was fighting over in that area. Her eyes cooled to silver for a split second of sadness, before rage returned them to red. She charged Cerberus. "You bastard!" she cried. Cerberus laughed. This puny human would barely harm him, and her allies were running thin. There was no way she could do any damage to him.

Or so he thought moments before she sliced off his left head. Shocked and appalled, Cerberus became enraged. "You small, little creature!" he yelled insultingly to Ruby. "I will feast upon you!" Roman and Nora once again opened fire to distract him. "You little beasts! I am the Destruction! I am the Chaos! I am the Hunger! I will feast on you all!"

He felt a pain behind him. He turned his right most head and saw that Blake had recovered and cut off his tale. She smiled weakly as he glared at her. Ruby jammed her serrated blade into the right head's eyes and ripped them out before stabbing into its brain, destroying it. Cerberus screamed in pain. Landing below Cerberus, Ruby leapt up and hooked the blade on the neck of the final head. "Burn in hell!" she cried before heating up the blade and slicing through the bone and sinew as easily as butter.

Cerberus's body stumbled around headless for a moment before it collapsed and twitched. Then, like all Grimm who die, the body began to decay and dissolve. The Beowolves who were still alive felt the presence of their master disappear, and they howled painfully before fleeing like cowards; they would bother Beacon no more. The surviving huntsmen and huntress began to congregate, as well as a few surviving soldiers of Cinder's army, and they watched the body of the great Glutton dissolve into nothingness. Ruby glanced around. Many had died in the battle, but she was still happy to see that they still had over half of the school's population left. It was still, however, quite a hefty loss.

"Now what?" Weiss asked as she watched the hulking body fade.

"We rebuild," Glynda said sadly. She glanced over at Ozpin's headless corpse. "I...I guess I'm in charge."

"You'll do well," Ruby said. "You've done it before, from my perspective."

Someone in the crowd gasped. "L-look!" Ruby and the others looked at the fading corpse of Cerberus, and what she saw shocked her. Laying on the ground, missing a right hand and coughing up Cerberus's stomach fluids, was Cinder. She survived being swallowed whole.

Ruby's eyes flared to red with anger again and she slowly approached the woman. Cinder crawled weakly on the ground. Being eaten whole by Cerburus weakened her aura; she would not be able to use her semblance. Ruby approached with Ember Rose in hand. The blade glowed a burning orange as she twisted the handle, prepared to make the final step to ending this battle. She raised her scythe above Cinder; the woman had never felt so afraid in her entire life. Here, a young girl of fifteen was about to end her existence as though she were a fly. Ruby held the scythe for a moment, filling Cinder with even more dread, before she began to bring the hot blade down. "Wait!" Nora cried, using her hammer to block the scythe as she jumped in the way. "You don't have the right, Ruby!" she growled, angrily.

Cinder breathed a sigh of relief. "S-she's right! You have to keep me alive! When this Grimm epidemic dies down, you'll have to put me on trial for my crimes! You can't kill me!" She almost laughed as she said those words. Ruby, without batting an eye, simply nodded to Nora and stepped away. Nora watched as Ruby moved away. Turning to face Cinder, she saw the woman on her knees, thanking the red headed girl. Nora, unflinching, raised her war hammer high over her head. "W-wait! You said she didn't have the right!" Cinder cried. Nora brought the hammer down with all of her strength onto Cinder's head, not letting another word exit the witch's mouth; not even a scream of terror.

Blood splattered the muddy ground. No one said a word as Nora stood over the corpse of Cinder, hammer still embedded in her skull. "That was for Ren, you bitch," she whispered. Everyone knew that Nora had been right. Cinder didn't hurt Ruby, so Ruby didn't have the right to kill her. She had, however, taken away Nora's love. She felt pleased, knowing that Ren would rest easier in the afterlife. The Battle for Beacon was over.

* * *

_Song: You Know What You Are-Nine Inch Nails_

**Author's Note  
**

Some parts of this chapter I'm not overly fond of. I feel like I could have written some of this alot better, but I'm still pleased with how it turned out, and that's all that matters. I felt the need to have our bubbly, adorable, and innocent Nora bash in Cinder's skull. It just seemed right, what with her being glued to Ren (God rest his soul) and her choice of weaponry. What did you guys think? This one (including the previous chapter) has been a long time in the making. I would even say that this might be the climax of the story, or at least close to it. There's still a bit more to go, but not much else. I have 20 chapters total planned, which means we only have 7 more to go. I hope you stick around until the very end. Also, when this is over with, I'll be sure to write the sappiest, and most adorable ship fic ever so I can cleanse myself of such a dark and disturbing fic.

For those of you who have stuck around and intend to continue doing so, I thank you! I love you guys, and I feel like you should know it. No homo. You've been very supportive of this story while I have worked myself unto exhaustion over it, but its all been worth it so far. Don't worry, I always write to the point of neglecting my health. It's how I tick.

Fun Fact: My foot is healing up quite nicely. I haven't missed a day of work for it, which is very good. Though, it does itch now where the skin is healing back together. That's my least favorite part of healing from any cut or gash. Oh well. A few more days and I'll be right as rain.

Fun Fact 2.0: I hope you American readers will have a nice 4th of July. I'm going to a cookout that day myself! To you non-American readers, at least its on a Friday! That means you've got the weekend to look forward to!

Till next time, and as always...I'm so, so sorry.


	15. Chapter 14: Das Omen

Chapter 14: Das Omen

"Our comrades fought well," Glynda recited sadly, merely repeating the speech that she had prepared. She didn't trust herself emotionally to speak without some sort of script. "They came here to learn how to protect the innocent from Grimm, and they died living by that desire. They've protected more innocent souls in this one battle then they would have ever known in life, and we can only hope to honor them in death as best we can."

Her speech had been a rather lengthy one. She felt it was necessary, due to the large number of casualties that they had sustained. Before the Battle for Beacon, the roster listed five hundred students and about forty instructors; they were now down to a total of three hundred ninety-two. Ruby had told her that this number was double what the 'original' timeline had after the battle, so she had to admit it could have been a lot worse.

The huntsmen and huntresses of Beacon who were left standing, bandaged up in varying ways based on their injuries, stood silently before a large funeral pyre. Glynda stepped away from the podium and nodded to Weiss, who held Myrtenaster in a salute to the fallen. Using her red dust, she lit the blade on fire ever so slightly as she approached the pyre.

She decided to stop at a specific place on the pyre; the place where she personally had lain Luna. Weiss smiled at her friend's body. "We'll meet again, someday," she whispered, kissing her fingers and placing them onto Luna's forehead just before touching the pyre with her sword. The flame spread, covering the bodies of their comrades in its burning embrace. A sad day had come and gone for Beacon, but many of the survivors still saw it as a shining lantern of hope. They had beaten back Cinder's army, and they defeated Cerberus. In spite of their heavy losses, it could still be seen as a victory.

_Just one more month_, Weiss thought. _One more month, and the comet will pass through out of Remnant's sight. We can push the Grimm back and try to return to our previous lives._ Glynda began speaking again, regaining Weiss's attention.

"Let this funeral pyre serve as our beacon to the world. Let the world know that the Grimm can be beaten. Beacon is our sanctuary. Beacon is our light in the void. Our strength is both life, and it is a curse; it is the omen of destruction for our enemies." Glynda met the eyes of her former students. Three months ago she would have looked at them with disdain and strict attendance. She would have berated them for failing, and complimented them for succeeding. She would have seen them for what she truly believed they should still be; children. Now, she didn't see students, or failures, or children. She saw warriors, and warriors neither fail nor succeed; warriors keep moving forward, regardless of what has happened in the past. What she saw now made her proud. "Remember those we've lost, my friends. Dismissed." She stepped away from her podium and retreated to the building where Ozpin's office lay waiting.

Weiss felt a hot tear run down her cheek. She wiped it away, determined to remain dignified. She heard a quiet, sobbing cry, followed by another, and then another that was louder, and another that was louder still. She looked around and saw several of her comrades drop to their knees and cry; they remained composed for the sake of ceremony, but now they let their emotions run free. Weiss's gaze panned across the courtyard, watching as her friends and allies broke down. Militia almost collapsed as she cried, but Sun caught her and held her tightly. Weiss caught sight of Natalie, the last remaining survivor of Luna's team, as she mourned the death of her three team mates. A loud, wailing cry broke out in the air, and Weiss instinctively followed it until she found the source; Nora. In Nora's hands were a pair of bladed pistols; one green, the other a flat gray and a shining metallic silver where it had never been painted.

Weiss pitied them all, but she couldn't ever tell them that. She was no better off, after all. With everyone else letting loose with their emotions, Weiss found it harder and harder to stay composed. Finally, the levy broke as Weiss began to sob uncontrollably. So many had died, both friend and foe. She had never thought about taking another person's life before, but yesterday she had killed dozens in the name of self preservation, and to protect her own friends. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't forget the screams of those she obliterated with her ice or those she burned alive, and she could remember the faces of most of those she stabbed. It was horrific, and she hoped that she would never be forced to kill another person ever again.

Weiss felt a hand on her shoulder. Glancing over, she saw Pyrrha give her a sympathetic and caring look. Weiss looked down before instinctively hugging Pyrrha. While Weiss had never really cared for such close contact before, right now she just really needed to be near someone who cared.

* * *

Blake was having a similar experience to Weiss. She had decided to join her fellow faunus to mourn, not because she didn't care for the humans she fought alongside, but because some of her faunus friends had died in the fight, including Alegra. Blake wasn't proud of the human death's she was responsible for, but she had done it before. Many years ago, when she was in the White Fang, she'd killed a few humans. She made a rule to only kill when her life was in danger, and had she not taken those lives she would be dead today, but that didn't make her feel any better about it.

Now, she was responsible for countless faunus deaths. The White Fang had joined Cinder in the attack, and Blake had a responsibility to protect Beacon. Her biggest regret was killing the one man she hoped she would never see again. Not because she hated him, but because she pitied him, and she didn't want to be tempted to return to him; Adam. Once, she might have harbored a schoolgirl crush on the handsome bull faunus, but over the years he became increasingly violent in their protests for faunus rights. She hoped against hope that he would never hurt her, and until yesterday that hope had been maintained. When Adam arrived, several of her friends had died.

Alegra and Melanie had both lost their lives to the young man, and that sent a fit of rage through Blake. She didn't _plan_ on stabbing Adam in the back, but that's what she did. She didn't _want_ to remove his head from his shoulders, but she didn't have much of a choice. Openly, she mourned the loss of her friends and comrades, as she should. Silently, she mourned Adam; she mourned the man he once was, the man he became, and what she had done to him because of who he had turned into. She wished she could have turned him, maybe convince him that humanity was worth giving a chance. She felt silly for thinking that, and reminded herself that he didn't care about humans in any shape, form, or fashion. He cared only for himself, and his faunus kin. At least until yesterday, when he began to slay his own kind.

Velvet approached Blake and gave her a gentle hug. "I'm scared, Blake," she said in a hushed tone. "We're weak now, and the Grimm could return at any time."

Blake smiled reassuringly as she returned the hug. "They won't come back here, Velvet. With Cerberus dead at our hands, they'll be too afraid to ever attack us directly again." Blake split away from Velvet and looked into the rabbit faunus's eyes. "Okay? We're safe here now."

Velvet smiled, thankful to hear Blake's words, before her smile faded again. "But that means our missions will be more difficult. They may not attack us directly again, but that may make them stronger out in the field."

Blake nodded. "That's why we have to be extra careful." The pair turned to watch the pyre blaze higher and higher into the sky.

* * *

The sound of glass shattering reverberated through the empty offices. Glynda had made sure that the remaining faculty were still outside at the funeral pyre before releasing her outburst that had caused one of Ozpin's mugs to explode against the wall. Sobbing heavily, she leaned upon a nearby bookshelf as she tried her hardest to hold in her emotions. In only a matter of seconds, she had deteriorated from a composed leader to a crying mess of a woman whose sobs were so strong that she could barely breath enough air. Though the window behind Ozpin's desk was broken, she was certain that the sound of the fire below would drown out her outbursts.

Glancing to her left, she spied a framed photograph on Ozpin's desk. She knew what it was, but she felt the need to see it up close as she approached it, tears still streaming from her eyes. She placed a hand over her mouth in an attempt to quiet herself as she lifted the photo.

It was a simple little thing. Any faculty head for any establishment would have one, but to Glynda it seemed a treasure now. It was, in fact, a staff photograph from when Ozpin first became headmaster at beacon. Standing as a group were herself, Ozpin, Summer Rose, Bartholomew Oobleck, Peter Port, and Qrow. She wanted to throw the photo angrily, like she had the coffee mug, but she couldn't bring herself to destroy one of the few remaining images of Ozpin.

Glynda wasn't sure what she should do. Outside there weren't any students mourning, but soldiers; _her_ soldiers. How was she to lead them when her own beacon of hope had gone out? She was a strong, competent woman, but she felt lost without Ozpin. She'd grown to rely on him for everything, and he had, in turn, come to rely on her. What was she supposed to do without the man she had spent almost every waking moment with for so many years?

_You'll do well,_ Glynda echoed mentally the words that Ruby had said to her the previous evening. _You've done it before, from my perspective._ Glynda's eyes went wide for a moment as she realized what those words meant.

She was always going to survive the battle against Cinder. Cerberus was an unknown variable in the battle, but Cinder was always going to attack, Ozpin would have died in the conflict, and Glynda would have lived on to take command; just like she was now. She smiled bitterly. This must be how Ruby feels as well. She _knew_ how Yang was going to die, and yet Yang still met with that exact same terrible fate. Some things, Glynda realized, must stay the same, but others can change. Cerberus wasn't supposed to be involved when Cinder attacked, but he still appeared. He was supposed to be defeated by Glynda and other hunters after the comet left, but Ruby ended that monster's life yesterday. Many of the survivors were meant to be dead by now, and some of the dead were meant to be alive. Things were changing.

_You'll do well._

Glynda took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I certainly hope so, Miss Rose."

* * *

Weiss marched down the hallway with purpose. As much as she wished she could mourn the loss of her comrades like she was earlier, she knew that their time was limited. Cinder's assault, and the subsequent appearance of Cerberus, depleted their dust stores even more than before. Some of it was used in the fight, but much of the lost dust was due to the fires set by Cinder's troops. They saved as much as they could, but the fact of the matter was that they only had two months of dust left, and that would only be the case if they used it frugally. She had already spoken to Ozpin about the dust shortage, but she feared that he never had the time to discuss it with Glynda before Cinder attacked.

Ruby and Blake were following her, asking her questions. "Weiss," Ruby said. "What are you doing?"

"We have a problem, Ruby," was her only answer. They arrived at Ozpins..._Glynda's_ office door, and Weiss pushed the door open; now was not the time to be courteous.

Within the room stood Glynda, who still stared longingly at the photograph. Upon hearing her door being forced open, she looked up and met Weiss's eyes. "_What_ do you think you're doing?" she asked, putting on her stern mask.

"Did Ozpin tell you about the dust?" Weiss asked, jumping into the core of the matter.

"Dust? What about dust?"

Weiss sighed. She didn't want to explain it all over again, as time was of the essence, but this was something that needed to be addressed. "We're on the verge of a dust crisis. We were using too much of it before Cinder attacked. We had about four months in reserve then, but after yesterday's battle we only have about two months to go before we're completely out of dust."

"How did we use so much?" Glynda asked, clearly shocked.

Weiss shrugged. "We weren't used to not having access to dust shops. Yesterday, most of what we lost was burned. Thus why there were so many explosions; our dust was being destroyed."

Ruby began shaking. "Fuck!" she screamed. Blake and Weiss turned to her, confused, while Glynda rubbed her eyes; she was tired. "Fuck!" Ruby yelled again, growing angrier by the second.

"Ruby, what's wrong?" Blake asked.

"What _isn't_ wrong?" Ruby retorted. She approached Weiss and grabbed her shoulders. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to start a panic!" Weiss snapped.

"Do you know what a dust shortage means? It means that we're going to contact your father, who will in turn tell us to go to Machtstaub Mine to salvage as much dust as possible, where we will fail and you'll sacrifice yourself to save us! This is the path that leads to _your_ death, Weiss! I! Needed! To! Know!"

Weiss's mouth hung open for a moment before she closed it and pondered for a moment. "What did we do about the dust shortage?"

"We salvaged as much as we could from outlying areas, and even took Cinder's storage from her warehouse, but it was a meager amount. We barely had any dust by the time I died."

"We didn't save any from Machtstaub?" Ruby shook her head.

Glynda sighed as she sat down. "Want me to try and get in touch with your family, Weiss?"

"If father wants us to go to Machtstaub, and we won't succeed, then I don't see the point," she answered. Biting her lip, she began pacing. "But there just _has_ to be a solution to this mess."

"What if we went to Mactstaub anyway?" Blake asked.

"But Weiss will die there, Blake," Ruby said. "It's full of Grimm, and we won't have time to salvage anything."

"But think about this; we killed Cerberus. Better still, we killed him _here_, at Beacon. The Grimm he brought with him escaped because we destroyed one of the most powerful Grimm in existence. In theory, they will _never_ come here again, which means that we can pull hunters _away_ from Beacon. If we send a large enough force to the mine, we can salvage the dust with minimal losses. While one group loads dust onto a Bullhead, the other will fight off the Grimm."

Ruby was about to argue, but was interupted by Weiss. "That might work! I won't have any reason to sacrifice myself, and we can solve the Dust issue in one fell swoop!"

"What about getting your father's permission to salvage the dust?" Glynda asked.

Weiss turned and looked to Glynda for a few seconds. "To hell with my father. If I know him, he's holding up in a secure bunker somewhere. While I'm sure we could get in touch with him, it would be meaningless. We need the dust more than he does."

Ruby glanced around the room, thinking to herself. "There's still a very good chance that the timeline has shifted too much, and Machtstaub could be an uncertain variable. Anything could be there. It could be a lot harder to salvage the dust than it was originally."

"By the same token, it may also be easier," Blake pointed out.

Glynda stood back up. "When can you arrange for this to happen?"

Weiss turned to Ruby. "Well?"

Ruby was the one pacing now. After a moment of thought, she paused and spoke up. "No one will be of any real use for a while. Let's give them a few days to mourn properly, and then we'll begin preparation for the mission. If we can get this organized right, I'd say we should be able to set out in about a week."

Glynda nodded. "Once you feel like you should start preparing, let me know. I'll assemble a meeting in the war room when the time comes. For now, I order you all to rest and remember the fallen." The three girls saluted Glynda and began to walk out. Glynda turned around and looked out of the window, watching the funeral pyre blaze.

Ruby stopped. "Glynda," she began.

"Hm?"

"I meant what I said. You _will_ do well as a leader. And I also want you to know that I feel the same as you do right now. This is the _second_ time that I've mourned Ozpin. I'm mourning many of the dead for the second time, actually."

Glynda nodded, not trusting herself to face Ruby. "I'm sorry you've been given the heavy burden that you carry Ruby. Please go rest. You need it more than any of us." Silence fell as Ruby agreed and left, closing the door. Two of their biggest enemies were dead, but Glynda knew better than to relax. They still had many trials ahead of them.

* * *

_Song: Das Omen-E Nomine_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE  
**

I have absolutely no excuse for how long this took. This wasn't even a particularly hard chapter to write, either. Every time I would write a paragraph or two, I would get sidetracked and would do something else. Hell, the other day I wrote three sentences, looked at my Magic: The Gathering cards, and set it upon myself to build a five color Commander deck. Also, Horde of Notions is a pretty badass Commander. Just saying. This chapter isn't terribly exciting or interesting, but I feel that it's necessarily. Next time we'll probably follow some people during the few days of resting and mourning. I look forward to getting through with the slow chapters like this one. I like writing the more exciting chapters alot more. Oh well, what are you gonna do? I can't just skip important information.

Fun Fact: Sailor Moon Crystal is amazing! I mean, its just an exact retelling of the original series, but that's really cool because the original series is so freaking hard to find! This reboot allows oldschool fans to enjoy it again, and to introduce it to new viewers!

Hype: This Thursday! Ladies and Mentlegen! RWBY, Volume 2! GET ABOARD THE HYPE TRAIN, BUT BE WARNED! THIS MOTHERFUCKER AINT GOT NO BRAKES!

Till next time!


	16. Chapter 15: The Illusionist

Chapter 15: Illusionist

The fire had long since burned itself out, and the ashes had been scattered over the cliff above the Emerald Forest. Per Glynda's orders, now was a time of rest and mourning. Yet, to Ruby's surprise, everyone seemed to be feeling a lot better than she had expected. They weren't happy, by any means, but the death of Cerberus had lifted a heavy load from everyone's shoulders. They had a fighting chance to survive now, and everyone knew it. Even Ruby, who witnessed the deaths of most of those around her in her vision, admitted that their odds were a lot better now than they were before.

It had been three days since the Battle for Beacon, and the cleanup effort was well underway. Rubble and broken windows were being moved to and fro all over campus; roofs were being repaired, buildings that were burned were being salvaged, and the remaining supplies were being organized and maintained more properly by Weiss and Natalie, the two having shared the mutual acquaintance of Luna before her death. Jaune was carrying crates of dust into storage while Pyrrha directed him along the way, Blake and Velvet were in the library pouring over maps of Vale, plotting out where the recon teams had seen Grimm, and team SMMR was practicing their specific skills.

In particular, Sun was practicing his flying skills via a realistic flight simulator, as dust was too scarce to waste on a needless Bullhead launch. Militia was actually in the nurse's office, learning how to administer first aid, and Roman was...

"Hey, Red!" he called as he approached Ruby, leaving Sun to fend for himself in the Bullhead's cockpit. His coat was open, revealing a tattered tank top underneath, and his hat was still missing; it appeared to have been destroyed during the battle.

Ruby sighed, displaying her displeasure of the mocking nickname, but inwardly, she secretly missed these exchanges. It felt like an eternity since she got to answer him as she always had. "My name's not Red, Roman," she stated flatly. Smiling, she looked up at him.

He chuckled softly. "I know, I know." His smile vanished briefly before he stepped beside Ruby, wrapping his right arm around her shoulders. "How are you, Red?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

She shrugged. "I'm fine, I suppose. Still a little tired after the other day, though."

"Killing a mythological Grimm will do that to someone, I'm sure." He lit a cigar and gave it a subtle puff, exhaling smoke slowly as he savored the flavor. "I'm starting to run low on these," he commented. "I really should hold off on them for a while."

"They're bad for you anyway," Ruby answered.

"Well," he answered methodically. "It's not likely to be one of _these_ to kill me though, is it?"

"If my prediction about you holds true, you'll live to see the end of this. Or at least near to the end."

Roman shuddered, remembering what his fate was supposed to be; to live while Ruby bled to death in his arms. He forced the thought from his mind as he inhaled another puff of smoke from the cigar. "Still, it's a good flavor. Rough and harsh to the throat, but still a hint of sweetness to please the palate."

Ruby shook her head in disdain. Swiftly turning to face Roman, she flashed him a slight smile. "What _are_ we supposed to do with you? Criminal mastermind turned savior of the world, yet he still can't kick such a nasty habit."

He laughed at her joke. "That's rich, coming from a young girl who also happens to like to smoke cigars."

Ruby frowned. "I never said I liked them. Don't you remember the coughing fit I went into after the first time?"

Roman laughed at the memory. He glanced at her with a smile. It seemed that now, as a friend and an ally, his debonair demeanor was actually kind of charming. "It's only been three months, but you've grown up quite a bit, haven't you, Red?"

"I had to," she answered. "I knew what harsh reality awaited us. I couldn't afford to be a little girl anymore."

"Well," he replied as he roughed up Ruby's hair with his right hand. "I hope one day you can return to being a carefree girl. This murderous vibe you give off doesn't suit the adorable girl who once thwarted my robberies."

She fought back a blush as she shoved Roman's hand away. "Knock it off, you creep. I'm still fifteen, you know."

He chuckled. "And I'm a former criminal turned responsible adult. Things change, Red."

Ruby stuck her tongue out at him. "That sounded creepy, Roman. _Please_ stop calling me Red."

"Never gonna happen," he stated calmly as he turned to make his way back to the Bullhead where he left Sun. "Get some rest, Red. We've still got work ahead of us."

She nodded, smiling gently as he walked away. "You big jerk," she whispered. She turned and made her way to Ozpin's...or rather, to _Glynda's_ office. "I think everyone's ready to begin planning ahead."

* * *

The war room was silent as the grave. The last time every team leader was in here at once was when the comet first appeared. Back then, everyone was loud and talkative, trying to understand what was going one. Now, they sat silently and awaited to hear their new orders, prepared to give their lives should the need arise. Their numbers had diminished since then, and quite a few team leaders were lost forever: Cardin and Luna just two to be named.

Ruby stood in front of the team leaders, ready to begin. Glynda, Oobleck, and Port sat at the front table in view of everyone, waiting for Ruby to begin. She cleared her throat and began speaking. "As many of you are well aware by this point, we are in the midst of a dust shortage. We've a better chance of surviving this in this timeline than in my premonition, but without dust that chance gets shot to hell. In my premonition, we worked in tandem with the Schnee Dust Corporation to salvage as much dust from the mine, Machtstaub, as we possibly could. We failed, which resulted in the death of Weiss Schnee."

"But not this time," she said flatly. "We are not going to contact the Schnee Dust Corporation because there is no reason too. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and right now permission to raid a mine is something we just don't have time to wait on. We believe that the Grimm will leave Beacon alone for the remainder of the comet's stay, and well beyond. As such, we of Team RWBY propose that we take a group of teams and orchestrate a massive salvage operation on Machtstaub, and any other mines in the area, of any and all traces of dust."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Juane asked from the crowd of team leaders.

Ruby nodded. "Each operation will have two groups: Recovery and Destruction. The one team will be the Recovery group, and they are responsible for claiming as much dust as possible, while the Destruction teams will distract and eliminate any possible Grimm in the area. I believe that we should have three Destruction teams per one Recovery team."

"How many mines are we going to hit?" Roman asked. They were in his realm of expertise now. This, to him, was going to be the biggest dust heist he would ever take part in.

"At least the one, but we have two others marked on this map," Ruby stuck a map to the wall behind her. "Machtstaub, the Schnee Quarry, and the Vale Dust Mine."

"Who's going to be doing what?" asked Velvet.

"That will be up to all of you. However, my team mates are already demanding to take part. As such, Team RWBY will be the Recovery unit for the Machtstaub operation. The rest of you will participate purely on a volunteer basis."

Roman cleared his throat. "Team SMMR will act as transportation for the Machtstaub operation."

"Team JNPR will serve as Destruction for the Machtstaub operation." Jaune chimed.

"Team VLVT will act as Destruction for Machstaub," Velvet echoed.

"Team CRDL will act as Destruction for Machtstaub as well," announced Sky.

For the next few minutes, almost every team leader volunteered to take part in one of the three operations. After thirty minutes of organizing, Glynda dismissed the meeting, instructing all participating teams to prepare themselves for the coming mission. Ruby felt encouraged by the turn out for volunteers. She felt true hope for the first time in weeks, and wasn't a false illusion. This time, things would be different.

* * *

_Song: The Illusionist-Scar Symmetry _

**Author's Note  
**

I am _so_ sorry for taking so long. I've been so busy with work, that by the time I get home I'm too tired to do anything. I hadn't even had the energy to mow my grass until yesterday! I hate that this chapter is so short, but that's what happens when I only write a little at a time over a month. I need to write immediately after an idea hits me, or it turns into something like this chapter. I'm sure I had more in mind for it, I just can't remember. All the same, next chapter should come a little bit faster (fingers crossed), and it should be longer. Like, an actual normal chapter length.

Fun Fact: I'm in love with RWBY Volume 2 so far. But, then again, who isn't?

Again, i'm terribly sorry for taking so long on such a meager chapter. I'll make it up to you!

Till next time!


	17. Chapter 16: The Great Below

Chapter 16: The Great Below

The sun was at its zenith, and the scenery was beautiful. At face value, you'd never know that the Grimm were driving the world into a new age of mass extinction. The few clouds in the sky clung to each other over the mountain, casting a blissful shadow small portions of the forest below. Birds chirped, ignorant of the world's troubles, and the radio tower of Machtstaub could be seen in the distance.

The area appeared to be at peace. If it were truly at peace, then the sound of a pair of bullheads flying as fast as possible must have disturbed that veil of calmness. Engines roaring, they closed the ever shrinking distance between themselves and the mine. The larger, upgraded bullhead that Roman flew was in the lead, bringing teams RWBY and JNPR to the objective, while the second Bullhead held teams CRDL and VLVT.

"Lock and load," Roman called over the sound of the howling engines. "We're closing in on the objective!"

Ruby stepped into the cockpit and looked through the windshield, watching the radio tower grow larger and larger as they approached. She elbowed Roman's shoulder. "Just like old times, eh?" she teased.

Roman smiled. "This'll be the biggest Dust heist I've ever attempted! The anticipation is palpable. The take just might be enough for me to retire on."

"Don't bet on it," Ruby stated. "We have to split it up evenly between a couple hundred huntsmen and huntresses."

"Don't kill the mood, Red."

Weiss entered from behind Ruby. "We're ready, Ruby. How much longer?"

"Five minutes or so," Roman stated. "I didn't know these bad boys could fly this fast!"

A loud, reverberating beep erupted from the Bullhead's radio. "This is the Schnee Dust Company: unidentified aircraft, where do you think you are going?"

Roman raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think anyone was there."

"They're not," Weiss stated. "They have us on radar, but they're not here. They're probably at the Schnee Dust HQ, watching us from their monitors."

"You are in a restricted air space! Turn around, or we will be forced to press charges," the radio demanded.

"Allow me," Weiss grabbed the radio. "This is Weiss Schnee. Deliver a message to my father: while he's safe in his hole somewhere, there are innocents dying needlessly. I am commandeering this Dust under the authority of Beacon Academy, and as a Huntress. Any charges you press will be dropped by any courts that survive, and any threat you make to us will in turn be brought up in court and be used against you. Go back to hiding like the cowards that you are, and rest easy knowing that we are doing what you are too terrified to do: we're _saving_ Remnant." She returned the radio to its position and smiled defiantly.

"Wow, Weiss," Ruby started. "I've never seen you like this...I like it."

The heiress sighed. "I gotta admit...that felt damn good."

"It always start with the rebellious stage," Roman muttered. "Next thing you know, you'll be a wanted criminal."

"Oh, please. Just do your job and fly. You're not here to run your mouth."

"I beg to differ." Smiling, he arched the Bullhead down. Now they could actually see the mine. It was a combination of a strip mine and several mineshafts: a large hole was dug into the ground, and every few levels a tunnel was dug into the mountain where the Dust deposits lay in wait to be mined. "Get ready ladies, and those of the other gender. Operation Machtstaub has begun!"

Nodding, Ruby and Weiss exited the cockpit. Sun greeted them with a smile. "Wreck some shit, guys!" he cheered as he opened the side door. Weapons drawn, teams RWBY and JNPR watched as the ground grew closer and closer until Roman leveled off and hovered about ten feet above the surface, at which point both teams of three jumped out. The second Bullhead did the same, and teams VLVT and CRDL landed with a subtle thud as they leapt from their respective transport. Landing in the "courtyard", they noticed a few forklifts, empty delivery trucks, and several empty cargo containers.

"Operation start!" Ruby declared. Ember rose in hand, she looked around alertly, searching for any sign of Grimm activity. "Weiss, this is your area of expertise. Lead the way. JNPR, VLVT, CRDL, keep an eye out for Grimm."

"Roger!" all three other teams declared.

Weiss nodded, and with Myrtenaster in hand she began to make her way to the loading docks for the mine's exports. "There might be some Dust in the shipping department, assuming the workers left in a hurry." Ruby and Blake followed the white haired girl's lead while the Destruction teams swept the area.

The first thing Blake noticed was the silence. While her human counterparts would hear the silence as well, it seemed deafening to her. Her superior hearing should have picked up some sign of life, but all she heard was the loud echo of nothingness. _Nothingness_, she thought. _What a terrifying concept._

Weiss noticed the quietness as well, and it filled her with just as much dread as the others. Forcing herself to make as little noise as possible, she made her way to the shipping department with her team following her. Slowly cracking the door open, for the large garage doors were closed, she peered inside to see what may lie within. _Pay dirt!_ she wanted to cheer. Inside the shipping warehouse were four palettes of unshipped Dust. "They must have abandoned it early in the workday. Usually, these warehouses are packed full by the end of the day for the overnight trains and Bullheads to ship out."

"Any Grimm inside?" asked Ruby.

"Not here, but let's not get our hopes up." She produced her scroll. "Recovery M: we've found four palettes of Dust. Type and quality are unknown, but I don't suppose it really matters."

"Find a jack or something and bring them to the courtyard. How many palettes can fit inside of a cargo container?" came the voice of Roman from the scroll.

"Plenty," was all Weiss said.

"Find 'em, pack 'em, and we can go home."

Nodding, Weiss turned to Blake and Ruby. "Long shot, but would either of you happen to know how to operate a forklift?" Ruby shook her head, but Blake nodded.

"I did a lot of different work for the White Fang," was the only explanation she gave. Putting away Gambol Shroud, she hopped into the nearest forklift and turned it on; it was electrical in nature, so thankfully it was much more quiet than the more industrious, Dust powered models.

Quickly and efficiently, she moved the four palettes into a container in the courtyard. The ease of which they had retrieved these four struck Ruby as odd. "I don't like it," Ruby muttered quietly, shifting her eyes from here to there, watching for any bestial movement.

"It's...it's just like before," Weiss stated.

"Before?" Blake asked. "You mean when we went on the previous mission? The one where we...didn't all come back?"

The three girls repressed their sadness once again at the memory of Yang's death. "Exactly," Ruby replied. "It's far too quiet."

Weiss pulled out her scroll once again. "Roman, you've got a bird's eye view of the whole strip mine. Can you see any Grimm?"

A moment later, the debonair replied with, "Zilch. I hate to say it, but they're probably hiding in the mineshafts connected to the mountain. That or they aren't here."

Weiss shuddered. "Let's hope it's the latter."

"Well," Ruby began. "You died during this mission well before we ever actually took down Cerberus in my premonition. It's possible that the Grimm have completely left the region when we killed him."

"Thank God for foresight and ingenuity, then." Weiss looked at the mineshafts dug into the strip mine's walls, each layer and shaft going progressively higher over her head, towering over the teams. "All the same, let's avoid the tunnels. Only take the Dust that's on the surface.

* * *

The side door of the Bullhead was still open as Roman circled above, team SMMR keeping a watchful eye over the teams below. Sun grabbed the handle on the side of the door and leaned out to get a better view, the wind resistance causing his shirt and hair to blow about. Over the radio, Sun had heard the exchange between Weiss and Roman. True to Roman's word, Sun couldn't see any sign of Grimm activity. "The place wouldn't be abandoned if the Grimm had never been here," he yelled over the sound of the roaring engines.

"Maybe they left the area? There's no one here for them to devour," Militia chimed in.

"Let's not get our hopes up. The best I can wish for is that whatever is down there won't notice us until we've left." His eyes scanned the floor of the giant strip mine, when a shadow caught his attention. It was sudden; too quick for him to get a good glimpse of it. He wasn't even sure that he actually saw it. _Better safe than sorry_. "I think I saw movement to the west. Tell the teams!"

"Right," Roman yelled back from the cockpit. He once again opened a channel to the teams. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot speaking, we believe we may have spotted movement in the western portion of the mine. Proceed with caution."

* * *

"Well, that's probably not good," Weiss muttered, having heard Roman through her scroll. "How much do we have?"

"The container is half full," Blake stated. They had begun moving quickly to avoid a prolonged stay in this menacing mine. "We still need to find more."

Ruby was about to suggest the next area to search, when the four teams heard a blood curdling sound; the dark squawk of a Nevermore. Looking up, Ruby spotted the beast. It had emerged from one of the western mineshafts; the more shallow of the tunnels. It looked around the craterlike mine, it's beady eyes darting this way and that in search of prey. It was aware of the Bullhead's presence, but seemed disinterested; it must not have known that any living thing was on board.

"It's just one," Sky said from nearby. "We can take it!"

"No!" Ruby barked. "Your orders are to remain with us and to protect us from any immediate threats. The Nevermore hasn't spotted us yet, and we should keep it that way."

"We still need to find more Dust," Weiss added. "Let's check the production line. There should be some Dust in there. Not all of it will be refined, but beggars can't be choosers." She gave the Nevermore one last glance. "Let's keep out of Mr. Poe's sight, shall we," she added, trying to be humorous. It almost worked, but they had all been through too much to let themselves smile right now, let alone laugh.

The teams entered a nearby building, marked by a Schnee logo and a sign that read "Production/Refinery", and observed their surroundings. It was a jumble of refining machinery, barrels, crates, and empty palettes. The windows and equipment all had a layer of dust upon them; they had not been disturbed or cleaned in quite some time. On the floor near the entrance was a fluorescent light bulb that had been knocked out of its place, broken into tiny pieces all over the floor. Once again, they were greeted by silence, only being disrupted by the occasional crowing of the Nevermore outside.

"Split up," Weiss said. "This room is too big for us to group together if we plan to find any Dust." The others all nodded.

Jaune, the leader of team JNPR, took his solace very harshly. He tried his hardest to look for Dust, but his mind would always find its way to Ren. That was _his_ closest friend. That was his _teammate's_ lover. And, above all else, Jaune thought of Ren as a brother. He was dead, yet Jaune and the rest of team JNPR yet lived.

Thus his thoughts were preoccupied, but a sound ripped him away from his thoughts. _Was that a jar rolling on the ground?_ he asked himself. Sword drawn, he looked around alertly. Glancing across the room to his comrades, he saw that they heard it too. Ruby gave the signal for all four teams to converge in the center of the room. Jaune took a step in the proper direction when his eye caught the source of the sound; an empty vial, most likely intended to contain Dust, rolled lightly across the floor. This wouldn't bother him so much, except that _none_ of his allies had made it to the area where the vial had come from.

He faced the way the vial had rolled from and backed away slowly before coming into contact with Pyrrha. "There's something in here," he whispered.

The red head simply nodded, her eyes scanning the room intently.

"Did you get a visual?" Blake asked, also using a whispering tone.

"No," the knight replied. "I call for a vote: all in favor of getting out of here with what dust we have should head for the door." Not surprisingly, everyone slowly inched their way to the exit, happy enough to take what gain they had and leave in one piece.

Another vial rolled across the floor, this one bearing a crack from the impact on the hard floor. That sealed the deal. Everyone quickened their pace, though only slightly, to leave the building. Velvet was the closest to the exit. She turned on her heal to make sure she wasn't about to walk into a wall when she heard a sound come from beneath her foot; the sound of glass shattering. She winced and looked down; she had walked right into the broken lightbulb. _Shit!_ she thought.

A loud sniffing sound was heard echoing lightly within the building, followed by a bestial grunt. Blake saw it; a Beowulf had just leapt on top of a pile of crates and was looking right at them. "Guys," she said. "I think it's time to run."

The Beowulf stared for a moment longer before erupting into a loud howl, triggering the responses of more Grimm. "I think you're right!" Juane agreed. All thirteen of them bolted out of the door.

Nora was the last to exit. She made one final glance behind her, and terror filled her being. She slammed the double doors closed and grabbed a nearby crowbar that was used to opening crates, and barred the door with it. Everyone paused to see what she had done. Eyes still wide, she yelled, "They had an Ursa Major in there!" before running and catching up with her comrades.

The giant, cratersized strip mine now sounded like a sports stadium full of Grimm, as howls, squawks, and roars filled the hunters' ears. "Roman!" Weiss called. "Grab the Dust container, _now!_"

"What's going on down there?" he replied hastily.

"We found the Grimm."

"How many?"

"Lots."

"Lots?" he asked.

"LOTS!" Weiss yelled back.

"Have everything ready! I'm on my way."

The mineshafts dug into the side of the mountain began to erupt with Grimm, pouring from the walls as though they were liquid. The number was astounding; they were equal to, or greater, than the force of Grimm that forced Yang to sacrifice herself. "We need to contain these Grimm!" Velvet exclaimed. "There are far too many here to simply let live!"

"What do you expect us to do?" Sky asked.

"I don't know, but Fort Stein _isn't _ that far away. Should these Grimm decide to attack, then nothing will stop them!"

"We can detonate the remaining Dust," Weiss stated as a matter of fact.

"Isn't the Dust too widespread?" Juane asked, eyeing the oncoming Grimm nervously. The rest of team VLVT was securing the Dust container for Roman's Bullhead, which was coming into view.

"No. Dust is very volatile. It's not out of the ordinary for us to have mining accidents. While safety precautions have made such accidents almost a thing of the past, the Dust itself, regardless of elemental type, is still just as dangerous. Refined, it'll usually erupt in a controlled state, but unrefined, like say, I don't know, in a _mine_, any sort of eruption becomes catastrophic."

"There's one problem with that," Pyrrha started. "For an explosion of the scale we need, we have to have plenty of heat. We need a fire."

"And I'm the only one present who can create fire," Weiss added. "My Dust skills aren't long range either. The farthest I can cast my fire is roughly one hundred yards. I _could_ do it from a Bullhead, but we'd be too close. We'd be caught in the blast."

Ruby wanted to slap Weiss. "Fuck the Grimm," she said. "I know what you're planning, Weiss. I've _seen_ it. You will do no such thing!"

"But Ruby, it's just like Yang; some things need to happen!"

"Is that how you see the timeline? Well, fuck the timeline, fuck the universe, and fuck you! You are not dying here today! None of us are. If need be, we can return and drop bombs on the mine, but for now we're escaping. Nothing else."

The Bullhead arrived, cutting off any argument Weiss would have made with it's roaring engines. Dropping cables, it quickly grabbed a hold of the container with magnets. "I can't help but overhear your little conversation. I'm siding with Ruby on this one. Everyone, hop in!" Roman yelled, nervously eying the oncoming Grimm from his cockpit. Something struck him as odd. _Where did the Nevermore go?_

Ruby grabbed Weiss's arms and threw her onto the Bullhead violently. Weiss would be angry with her, but Ruby didn't care. She was saving Weiss this time. The remainder of the teams boarded. "We're ready to go!" Ruby yelled.

Roman eyed the skies nervously. "Right," he said flatly. Slowly, he picked up the container and began to ascend into the sky. So far, he had seen no other sign of the Nevermore. _Maybe it left._

Sun glanced out of the open door to watch the Grimm. Once more he saw the shadow of movement, but this time it looked as though it was above him. He glanced up, and his eyes went wide; there it was, coming right for them. _Oh, fuck!_ "Roman, look out!" Sun yelled.

Too late. The Nevermore had already snuck upon them. It spread its wings and fired feathers down upon them. Pyrrha, Sun, Ruby, and Blake all began firing their weapons at the feathers, trying to knock away as many as possible. One grazed the tail, one bounced off of the engine, and the rest seemed to miss. It came a surprise, then, when the Bullhead lurched to the side.

Sun stumbled, but kept his footing. He moved quickly to the cockpit. "Roman, what's wrong?" he asked, but he soon saw what was wrong. One of the feathers had pierced the windshield and imbedded itself into Roman's leg. To keep from crying out, Roman was biting his own lip; he bit so hard that his lip was bleeding. "Militia! Roman needs help!"

The girl in question rushed to the front and used her claw weapon to slice off the feather, which Sun pushed out of the cockpit through the hole it created. Pulling Roman out, Sun took over as pilot.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Ruby asked, concerned.

Militia ripped the hole in Roman's pants even wider to get a better look at the wound. She shook her head. "He needs a proper surgery to fix it. He'll bleed out before we ever get back to Beacon. The wound is to terrible for me to effectivly stop the bleeding. There's nothing I can do."

Roman gasped, finally done with holding the pain inside, and he screamed a short, agonized scream. "Good!" he spat. "Like I said, I overheard your conversation. If I'm dying anyway, let me take as many of those Grimm as I can with me!"

"Roman," Ruby warned. "Don't do this. You're supposed to survive everything."

He met Ruby's gaze. Once he thought her to be young, naive, and a pain in his ass. Now he only saw her as young. "Listen, Red, I know what you said about my future...I don't want it."

"W-what?"

"My fate is to survive all of this, only to watch you die in my arms. You will perish, and I will live on to watch the world burn. Even if the world survives, there's no promise that you won't die. I'd rather go on ahead and wait for you. I don't want to wait to _join_ you."

Ruby began to tear up. She hadn't truly cried these last few days. She thought her heart had hardened to stone after watching so many die; she was wrong. "Roman," she whispered.

"I love you, Red. You're almost like my own kid. I wanted nothing to do with you at first, but now I want the best for you." He turned to Weiss. "Give me your fire Dust cartridges. They'll fit in my cane."

Weiss nodded, producing the ammo in question. "Are you sure about this, Roman?"

"More sure than anything I've ever done before. Sun, make sure you fly us away from the mine. Everyone else, you should try to kill the Nevermore before I reach the ground. It might eat me before I make it. Weiss, I need you to use your glyphs to catch me before I hit the ground."

"Right," she said, preparing her semblance. "Shoot the barrels. They contain unrefined Dust."

Roman nodded as he grabbed a nearby hand hold at the edge of the Bullhead, wincing to at the pressure he's placed on his injured leg while blood spurted out. He gave Ruby one last glance, which she returned in the form of a tight hug. "See you around, Red," he said, returning her embrace.

Sniffing and fighting back tears, Ruby replied, "M-my name...isn't Red."

Roman broke the hug, almost shoving Ruby away. Leaning backwards, he let himself fall out of the Bullhead. Ruby whatched in horror, and she felt as though time had slowed down. As he began his descent, the wind from the Bullhead's flight made Roman's coat swish back and forth violently. His well kempt red hair swayed gently, and his handsome face flashed her a smile. While Ruby's pounding heart wouldn't let her hear his next words, she read his lips; "You're right. I'm so sorry...Ruby."

* * *

He fell. He didn't know if he was lightheaded because of the exhilarating feeling of free fall, or the blood loss. It may have been both. He turned his body to face the ever approaching ground. Cane loaded and ready, he prepared himself for the landing; no matter what, it was going to hurt. He got to about thirty feet above the ground when Weiss's glyph appeared below him. Landing gently in its magical embrace, he floated for a moment before the glyph failed. He landed on his feet, but his wounded leg came out from under him, forcing him to the ground.

"Gah!" he exclaimed, feeling all of the pain. His body's natural pain killers must not have been working. "Fuck!" He stood up slowly, using his cane as a proper walking tool, and looked around. He was surrounded by Grimm. "Hello," he said suavely. "Good afternoon. Wonderful weather we're having, isn't it?" He heard gunfire. Risking the look up, he saw the teams in the Bullhead gun down the Nevermore. _If only we knew where it was before, we could have done that to begin with_. He smiled with pleasure as he watched its corpse fall and disintegrate. "Well," he sighed, taking aim as he leaned on a nearby light pole. "There's no time quite like the present." Spotting a nearby barrel, he pulled the trigger. He wouldn't live long enough to see the results.

* * *

The Schnee Dust Corporation had proven that unrefined Dust, once ignited, would start a chain reaction that would erupt into a violent explosion. It's best to keep any possible ignition source away from such materials, or the end result could possible look similar to a nuclear meltdown. That depended, of course, on how much Dust was within a two hundred yard radius of the ignited Dust. Machtstaub was a Dust mine; the amount of Dust within a two hundred yard radius was astounding.

As such, teams RWBY, SMMR, VLVT, JNPR, and CRDL watched in awe from the Bullhead as Machtstaub erupted into a blinding light before sinking even further into the ground. The mineshafts had collapsed, the Grimm had been incinerated, and the blast's shockwave could easily be mistaken for a minor earthquake.

Sun opened the cockpit door. "I've just received word from Goodwitch. The other missions have proven to be successful. Minimal losses, and they've all recovered a reasonable about of Dust. I guess we can call this a victory?"

Ruby nodded. _I love you, Red. You're almost like my own kid._ One single, final tear ran down Ruby's cheek. It would be the last tear she would shed for quite some time. Closing the side door to the Bullhead, she sat down to rest before they arrived back at Beacon.

* * *

_Song: The Great Below-Nine Inch Nails_

_"And I descend from grace, in arms of undertow. I will take my place in the Great Below"_

**AUTHOR'S NOTES  
**

That quote from the song is what sold it to me that I should use it. Also, i just killed the character whom I love writing for the most in this story. I'm kind of sad.

This story is planned to be a Prologue, 20 core chapters, and then an Epilogue...that means we have as many as 5 more chapters to go before we finish for good! So close! I think I'll let you in on a little secret: the character death is almost over! I don't have many more deaths planned, and they have to stop eventually! You'll find out what's left in the coming weeks, of course! Hold onto your butts! I really am looking forward to finishing this story. Its taken up _way_ too much of my time. Not that that's a bad thing, per se...

Fun Fact: I ordered a Roxio HD Capture Pro yesterday. For those of you who are interested, I may start doing let's plays sometime soon. I'll let you know more as this develops.

Fun Fact 2.0: For those of you who DON'T work/go to school tomorrow for Labor Day, I hope you have a wonderful day. I have to work as the garbage man until 10:30 AM, so I still have to wake up for work. Although, once we pick up all of the day's garbage, we get to go home, so it's not too bad. And I get paid for it, which is nice.

Till next time!


	18. Chapter 17: Blurry

Chapter 17: Blurry

Midnight at Beacon had never seemed so peaceful before. The former students, now fully fledged huntsmen and huntresses, that had survived the three months of terror were now feeling confident in their chances for outlasting it. Those three months were hell, but now they felt like a distant nightmare. And as with every nightmare, they all come to an end.

It had been almost one month since the Dust Recovery Operations, and the Grimm menace had been slacking. According to Ruby, the time of the comet was coming to a close; Harbinger would soon leave Remnant's immediate area within the solar system. It was just a matter of time, and if the Grimm's slackening of attacks on urban centers and Dust mines was any indication, it would leave any day now.

This was the day that they'd all waited for.

But for now, they rested peacefully in their rooms with their surviving teammates, comrades, and friends. The night guard maintained vigil, but the lack of Grimm movement around Beacon made it seem as though any further watch over the walls was futile. All the same, the thirty some odd hunters who stood at attention on the walls never slumped, never slept during their post, never complained, and never went lax in their duty; one could never be too cautious.

Ruby was one of those resting, but she wasn't sleeping. She couldn't sleep. No, she knew what was coming; the final conflict was just around the corner. Her original prediction stated that it would be one year before they could muster up the force to charge into one final battle to attempt to eliminate the Grimm: up until now, her predictions have been partially wrong. Everything's been happening sooner than expected. Some events happened days before they were meant to, and others appeared months in advance. Four months into the crisis, and she already knew that the final battle was upon them. So very soon, it crept upon her.

The day she was destined to die.

Ruby lay in her bed staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. She was planning around her fate. She was afraid when Cardin died that there may be some balance to the universe; where there is death, there shall always be death. But then, she saved most of everyone else that was supposed to die. Sure, many of them died during the Battle for Beacon, but more lived than she had originally predicted. Red was never on the list of those killed, yet he died in the battle. Roman was also supposed to live on, but he was injured in a way that she never knew would happen, and he gave his life willingly. He did so with purpose.

To avoid watching her die. That was his reasoning. To honor the man whom she changed, she vowed to find away to save herself. There was no need to save the world anymore: there were plenty of hunters to clean up the Grimm once the comet passed. In her original premonition, only a handful survived to see the final battle. But now? At least two hundred former Beacon students were at the ready, prepared to destroy the Grimm. Ruby need only look below herself to see that they had a better chance at surviving. Weiss died during the recovery mission in her premonition, but not this time. This time Weiss survived, and she now slept peacefully in the bed below Ruby's.

She sighed and rolled over, hugging her pillow. The only reason for said action was to make her position more comfortable for her rib cage, rather than put unnecessary pressure on her body. This bed. This bed is where it all began. This is where she had the premonition, and its where her sister and friends had calmed her down, assuring her, _promising_ her, that it was all just a nightmare. How right they all had been, just not in the sense that they thought originally.

But it doesn't matter now. The nightmare was about to pass. While Hell would linger a while longer, most of the world's religions believed that the world would be renewed through hellfire and trials; the rebirth of the world was at hand. The Grimm would linger and resume their wanton destruction of humans and faunus, but they would eventually be destroyed at the rate that the world was fighting back. Those fighting need only outlast these last months.

* * *

Glynda sat in her office. Not the office that once belonged to Ozpin, but _her_ office from her teaching days. Four months; while the time is relatively short, those four agonizing months felt like an eternity. _Soon_, was all Glynda kept saying to herself. Soon the comet would pass, and soon the Grimm would face annihilation.

That was her hope. Sipping tea slowly, she ponders her options while gazing out of the window. The moon's fragmented pieces were coming together; it was almost a full moon tonight. It was oddly calming, and she even considered it to be beautiful.

Feeling strangely at peace, Glynda yawned; she was tired. She stood and exited the room to head for her personal quarters to prepare for bed.

* * *

Morning didn't come to slowly or to swiftly for anyone. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, everyone rested comfortably and peacefully. So calm was everyone that some almost forgot that there was a war against the Grimm being waged. Naturally, the shattered buildings that were scattered across Beacon's campus from Cinder's attack reminded them of such, but the dread they once felt didn't return.

The sun's warm rays pierced the rectangular window of Militia's room. The bright light hurt her eyes, though they were closed, so she turned away fromthe sun and buried her head into Sun's chest. The irony was not lost on her, as it brought a smile to her lips. The feel of her bare skin touching Sun's flesh brought her more joy that she felt she should have felt, but it wasn't something to complain about. She was enjoying every second that she was spending with Sun laying beside her.

Feeling her shift beside him, Sun also began to stir. He opened his eyes and gazed upon the black headed beauty that was curled up beside him. "Good morning, gorgeous," he whispered.

Militia moaned a response, clearly not wanting to wake up yet. Sun brushed her hair out of her face, which in her mind forced her to respond in proper. "Good morning," she answered back, her voice hoarse from lack of use. "What time is it?"

Sun glanced over at Militia's alarm clock. "It's a little after eight in the morning. Wanna get up?"

Militia was usually a morning person. However, she didn't want to ruin the beautiful scene that she felt she and sun had produced. As such, she shook her head in response. _No, _she stated mentally.

Sun poked her cheek gently. "Come on. I'll make you some breakfast in the cafeteria."

His girlfriend smiled. _That does sound pretty good_. Given, that it wasn't as good as just laying here with her personal ray of sunshine, but she admitted that she had to wake up properly eventually. She threw the blanket off of herself and Sun and stood up. Two months ago, her display would have made her extremely embarrassed, but she had grown so close to Sun that their shared nudity didn't bother her. Not as much, at least.

The pair dressed and left the building. They almost made it to the door to the cafeteria building when Militia noticed something. Something about her vision changed ever so slightly, and it took her a moment to notice what it was. "Did it get brighter all of a sudden?" she asked.

Sun paused. "You know, now that you mention it, it does seem like it isn't as bleak as it usually is." The pair looked up at the sky at the same time. What they saw shocked them and brought joy to their hearts. Rather, it was what they _didn't_ see that made them so happy.

Harbinger was gone. They could see a small trace of the comet's tail lingering in the sky, but it was slowly fading out of view as the comet moved through the solar system at its sluggish pace. Other huntsmen and huntresses that were up this early noticed Sun and Militia and followed their gaze. Within minutes a cheer erupted throughout the campus. Anyone who was still asleep would be awake now, but they wouldn't be upset. On the contrary, they would be just as overjoyed as the rest.

Ruby herself stood on the roof of her dorm, much like she had right before she joined the fight for Beacon when Cinder attacked. Now, however, she didn't have her weapon at the ready. She stared up at the sky, accepting the dawn's warm embrace in the absence of the comet's cold embrace, and she smiled gently. She knew, in her heart, that Yang was somewhere, returning Ruby's smile in kind.

* * *

_Song: Blurry-Puddle of Mudd_

**Author's Note  
**

Yeah, it's another short chapter. But, hey, I love this chapter. I like what I did with Sun and Militia in this one. Something about that relationship (which, for the record, I have literally seen NOWHERE else but here) is just so endearing to me.

Not much else to say, except that I should be in bed right now. I have work tomorrow. Yay for picking up garbage and paving roads.

I will go ahead and admit something, though. I almost NEVER write ahead of myself for a story. But today, I decided to go ahead and write the Epilogue. I like it. Alot. Then again, I'm really, _really,_ **_really_**biased in that opinion. Three more core chapters before you can read it though! Bear with me! We're almost done!

Till next time. :D


	19. Chapter 18: Not Falling

Chapter 18: Not Falling

Beacon hadn't been this busy in quite a while. Not since they first organized the watchers and built the wall to defend the school have the former students moved at such a productive pace. The comet was gone, and now was the time to prepare the long awaited counter attack.

Ruby stood atop her dorm, gazing at void in the sky where Harbinger had once been, a smile spread on her face. _Most of us are supposed to be dead right now_, she thought. _We can beat it!_ Looking down from the roof, she saw the excited faces of her comrades. Among them was Weiss, who had tears of joy in her eyes. Ruby jumped off of the roof and landed gracefully in front of the building before running up to Weiss. The poor heiress barely had enough time to register what the speeding red blur was before Ruby swept her up in a tight embrace. Returning the hug, the friends spun around happily, celebrated their chance at survival.

Glynda stood in a nearby doorway, watching her young soldiers as they cheered and ran about, many of them sobering up from their initial excitement to begin planning their next moves. Oobleck appeared to her left, smiling pleasantly at the site as well. "I can't believe it, Bartholomew. We beat the comet. More have survived than in the original timeline," she stated tearfully.

The green haired instructor nodded. "If only Ozpin could have been counted among them."

Glynda smiled sadly. "He'd be happy, I think."

Oobleck produced a megaphone. "Here you go, headmistress. I ran and retrieved it for you; I figured you'd need something loud to get through to them in their excited stupor."

She turned and flashed him a gentle, caring smile. "You're both fast _and_ you plan ahead. Thank you." Turning on the megaphone, she addressed the former students. Upon hearing her amplified voice, they all stopped what they were doing and listened intently. "Huntsmen and Huntresses; we've survived the time of the comet." They all cheered briefly. "The Grimm will grow weaker, and their reproduction rates will drop back to the normal levels. I believe it's time for an emergency meeting of team leaders. All team leaders, report to the war room in half an hour..." there was a brief pause in her statement. "It's time we take back Remnant."

The young warriors all cheered once more, seemingly erupting in a wave of excitement. _This is it_, Glynda thought. _We're going to win._

* * *

The war room was once again full of team leaders. Among them was, naturally, Ruby and Jaune, as well as Sun and Militia. While Sun was technically the leader of team SMMR now, there wasn't much of a team SMMR left. As such, both surviving members of the team sat in attendance of the meeting.

While everyone was excited, they were all silent as the grave; big things were happening once more, and none wanted to miss a second of it. Once everyone was present and seated, Glynda nodded to signal the start of the meeting. "Ruby, would you be so kind as to tell us what happened at this point in the premonition?" she asked.

Nodding, Ruby stood and took the floor. She'd lost count of how many times she'd been asked to retell the events of the premonition, but it didn't matter; this was something that she absolutely had to do. "In the vision of the original timeline, the comet came and signaled the end of life as we know it. This has come to pass. I witnessed the deaths of many of my comrades. This has come to pass, even if only partially. Cinder attacked us, and Cerberus surprised us, as he didn't assault us in my premonition. Originally, he was content to nip at us from a distance. He killed dozens of recon teams, and he leveled the nearby towns; Vale included. The day the comet left was something even he didn't predict. We never found out Cerberus's origin, but it's safe to assume that the comet had something to do with it. There might even be others like him roaming the world thanks the comet's influence."

Everyone looked at each other nervously. "However, if that is the case, then now they at their weakest. When the comet left, Cerberus wasn't prepared for the lessening of his power. Glynda, Port, Oobleck, and Roman mobilized a task force comprised of instructors and senior students to assault the beast. They took a few casualties, Oobleck being one of them, but they ultimately destroyed Cerberus. With his destruction and the disappearance of the comet, the remainder of the Grimm seemed scared. The lesser beasts fled, but the greatest of them still attacked with hostile intent, using fear as their greatest weapon. We didn't realize that their attacks were out of desperation until our numbers were too small to do anything about them."

"But this time," Sun interjected. "We've already killed Cerberus. Namely, _you_ killed Cerberus. The Grimm are now going to weaken since the comet is leaving, and thanks to you we already know their tactics."

Ruby nodded, smiling happily. "In the coming days, the Grimm will converge as many of their own as they possibly can in a valley to the north of here. Nevermores, Deathstalkers, and many King Taijitu will circle the area and assault nearby settlements in an attempt to protect the group as a whole. It worked in the premonition. This time, we _know_ that they will be weaker." Her eyes shifted red briefly as a sensation of bloodlust washed over her. "We can destroy those guarding the outer perimeter before assaulting the valley itself."

Glynda nodded. "You said that their could be more Cerberus type Grimm. Did you see any more in your premonition?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, ma'am. I'm only theorizing. After all, what are the chances of there being only _one_ such Grimm. Cerberus was the only one in the Vale area. Remember: we don't know anything about Mistral, Vaccuo, or other such places. We're looking almost exclusively to our own region. For obvious reasons, of course. Once we've secured the Kingdom of Vale, we can look to possibly lending aid to the other kingdoms."

Juane stroked his chin in thought. "You think that Cerberus may not have been all that unique?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Velvet asked.

"Well, when we saw him, both in the field and when he attacked us, he was accompanied by a lot of other Grimm, right? But what Grimm did we actually see work through his influence?" Velvet shook her head, shrugging. "As far as I can remember, he seemed to only be able to control Beowolves. The other Grimm were just tagging along. When Cerberus attacked us, there were _only_ Beowolves. What if Cerberus _was_ a Beowolf, only a bit more extreme."

"A unique variant of a common creature," Ruby muttered. "It's possible, but like I said: we never ran into anything else like him. It's all just speculation at this point."

"We can theorize all we want," Glynda interrupted. "The fact of the matter is that we currently have the upper hand. The other kingdoms don't know what we know. It's in our best interest to eliminate the Grimm here as quickly as possible and then move on to assist our neighbors." She turned to Ruby once more. "Where is this valley?"

Taking in a breath to speak once more, Ruby uttered the name of the valley. Glynda shuddered at the name; it was most definatly fitting that the final fight take place there. The former students all whispered among themselves as well. Had they heard correctly? It was _that_ place?

Oobleck found the whole situation ironic. Part of him even wanted to smile. That part was the ecstatic historian within himself. According to both legend and what few historical records proved, there was once a battle between mankind and the Grimm. Mankind almost failed during this initial confrontation, and Grimm almost reigned as the supreme beings of Remnant. In the very same place where the Grimm first appeared, a group of warrior stumbled upon the first known instances of Dust. While the area had been void of Dust for over a thousand years, it was still world famous. And it was just to the north.

_Horrida Campi_: Grim Valley.

Ruby smiled, the bloodlust returning to her features. "It's a fitting setting, don't you agree? In their own original home, we will make the Grimm know what fear truly is."

Glynda nodded. "But first; we must eliminate the stragglers. I want assault teams posted immediately. All combat ready teams are to mobilize ASAP. Any group of Grimm, no matter how large in number, is to be destroyed on sight. This mission takes precedence. Conserve your Dust, though. We'll need all we can during the final battle at Grim Valley. Dismissed!"

* * *

While all of this was happening, a being of great power watched over the world of Remnant. He "stood" atop the apex of the communications tower in Vale, and his brow was furrowed in disappointment. He'd been imprisoned for over a year, and he'd gone out of his way to instill as much fear as possible on this world. True, he had no direct relation to the comet, but he was still responsible for the young girl's premonitions...if that's really what they wanted to call them. He preferred to think of them as memories; memories of a time that one had lived and died before starting again.

That was the power of the Cycle. He'd used it to observe the universe for so long. His own plans had failed him, but he still tried to use his own spell for enjoyment, even in prison. He was only on Remnant in spirit, after all. His captors would _never_ give him the freedom to roam the universe as he pleased.

Still, even his plan to torment this girl, which was purely a reason to pass by the time that was an eternity in prison, was crumbling before him. He couldn't see the future, so he truly didn't ever know what to expect when he watched these events unfold. What bothered him was that this is the most hopeful timeline that the girl had ever experienced. _She just might save the world this time_, he thought. This was his disappointment.

That meant that he had would have to wait until she grew old and died before the Cycle would begin anew. True, time is meaningless to an immortal being with nothing better to do but sit in a lonely prison cell. But that didn't mean he enjoyed the boring events that took place between the interesting bits.

Then again...

They hadn't begun the final battle yet. The girl may yet still die. At this thought, feeling hopeful that the Cycle may repeat sooner rather than later, he smiled. "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

* * *

_Song: Not Falling-Mudvayne_

**Author's Note**

So...that ending. Yes, I did sort of introduce a new character. It's part of a sub-plot that's happening in the background that will explain a few things...and it's stupidly self serving. I will admit that outright. See, the character that is watching everything is _actually_ from my real work. Yes, I'm throwing in my original work...because why the hell not? I sat on this idea for ages, really. "Do I really want to explain how Ruby saw the future? Or do I want to leave it ambiguous?" I've decided on explaining it. More and more details will be unveiled soon, as the end is drawing near. And that also means that this wasn't a spur of the moment decision. Those will destroy you as an author sometime. I'd been thinking this decision through for about two weeks or more.

I do apologize if adding my own original story character/subplot is a bit...pretentious: especially since I won't have enough time to explain a lot of the things going on between he and some other characters. I'll try my best to summarize the information without leaving too much out, and without completely changing what this story is supposed to be. Needless to say, it's an evil that is necessary for me to reach the ending that I have so desired since the beginning of this story. As of now, the rest of the story is COMPLETELY planned out, and it should _theoretically_ only take me a few more weeks to write it all out...but don't quote me on that. Please.

Till next time


	20. Chapter 19: Change

Chapter 19: Change

Two more months had passed. The last two more months had passed by slowly for the huntsmen and huntresses of Beacon. Every day it seemed that a task force was sent out to eliminate as many Grimm as they possibly could before they were to return. Yesterday, team RWBY had destroyed a rather large gathering of Ursi, and the day before team JNPR discovered a nest of Nevermores. They had the call in backup from SMMR and CRDL, but the next was eradicated in an orderly fashion.

The time was now.

The Grimm population was back near normal levels in most of the surrounding areas; all they had to worry about now was the concentration that was gathering in Horrida Campi. Sun's Bullhead, the one Roman had flown, had passed over the area once a day for the last two months; the gathering was incredible. It was a larger force of Grimm than those that caused Yang's death. In fact, many of them could possibly be survivors of Yang's burning fury.

Sun and Militia had started noticing a change, however. The number of incoming Grimm was decreasing; there were fewer and fewer monsters arriving to bolster the ranks. The time had finally come.

Today, the day after RWBY destroyed the Ursi in the Emerald Forest, Glynda organized everyone into the courtyard. Since Roman had brought a small fleet of Bullheads, many of the huntsmen and huntresses had been training to fly them; today would be the first and last time that they would all fly at the same time.

"You are all former students of this school," she began with everyone in attendance. "You graciously and courageously decided to stay when Ozpin gave you the option to return home. Let it be known today: hunters who graduate from Beacon are the bravest of them all. Even in the face of death, you have stayed. When your friends were killed before you, you perservered and remained dutiful to your oaths. You swore to protect not just your friends and family. Not to protect your home or yourselves. You swore to protect _Remnant_."

Each of them shouted a war cry, sounding almost like one would imagine a group of ancient warriors from long ago would shout.

"Today," Glynda continued. "You will fulfill your oath, or you will die trying. There is no turning back now. Should any of you survive this day, and should we succeed, you are all welcome to return to Beacon of your own free will to serve future generations of huntsmen and huntresses. That is, of course, if you so choose. But that is a decision you will make later. For now, we move forward. For now, we fight for Remnant!"

Again the war cry, almost a chant now, erupted among the young warriors. Glynda fought back a fit of tears briefly. _See them, Ozpin? See how your dream for them has come true. These are the greatest warriors I have ever seen...that I have ever served with._

With a command from Glynda, they all began to march into the Bullheads. The aircraft began to take off, and they started flying northward.

North, bound for Horrida Campi. The Grim Valley. Ruby retrieved Yang's scarf from her pocket and tied it to her right bicep before climbing into a Bullhead. She couldn't wait to send the Grimm straight to hell. Every last one of them.

* * *

The figure's spirit once again roamed Remnant. He knew that today was the day. The day that would decide if he could continue to enjoy this bittersweet series of events of varying forms of repetition, or if Remnant would be saved by the very girl that he had cursed. In hindsight, it seemed only natural that she would _eventually_ find a timeline where they would win. After all, he himself re-lived the same ten thousand year span over five million times before he found the outcome he longed for. That was why he made the Cycle to begin with; to put his foes at a disadvantage. It almost worked too. _Almost_.

He now "stood" above the valley. It was full of dark, despicable creatures that sought only to consume the mortals who resided here. They reminded him of the Wraiths from another world he had once visited. What had the locals of Remnant called them again? Grimm? Yes, that sounded right. However, unlike the Wraiths, these creatures were completely physical: no spiritual assets were present within these monsters. For some reason, he liked that about them.

If he were a reasonable man, he would think that this "sport" of his was cruel. But, then again, he _was_ set to be in prison for all of eternity. He barely had enough magical essence to conjure up his spiritual body, let alone to recreate his famed Cycle. It was an incomplete conjuring, to be sure, but it was the best he could manage. When your captors were just as immortal and all powerful as yourself, it made using your "talents" that much harder.

He could hear the roaring engines of the Bullheads. _They're here!_ he thought excitedly, smiling widely. But something happened. Suddenly, he could no longer see Remnant. His vision had instantly gone dark. "What the hell?" he asked.

"That's what we'd like to ask you," came the angry, yet cool female voice of one of his captors. "What have you _done_, Crim!?"

His vision returned. His body was stiff, and he was laying sideways; his hands and feet were both chained to the floor. The walls around him pulsated with purple, glowing magical circles; spell dampeners. They worked. Just not as well as their makers had hoped. The man, Crim, sat upright and met the gaze of one of his captors. She wore a sort of wizard's robe, no shoes, and her hair was bright silver, coupled with her purple eyes; the signs of an active magic user. "Lucia Bavol," he whispered. "To what do I owe this pleasure? It's not every day that you grace my humble cell with your beauty." He looked around. She was alone. "Is there any reason, actually, for dragging my spirit back to my body? It was just about to get to the good part."

She glared at him. "What. Have. You. _Done?_"

He grinned back at her. "Man's gotta do _something_ to pass the time. Do you know how long _eternity_ is, Lucia? You should. You've lived for over ten thousand years yourself. The least you bastards could have done was given me a deck of playing cards or a set of dice. Hell, a cellmate would be nice. Any other omnipotent, eternally living criminals around here?"

Lucia kicked him, and he grunted. "I thought I sensed that you'd done _something_, Crim. What spell did you cast? A deathrite? A mindseal?"

"Neither," he said, trying to ignore the pain in his ribs. "Just a sort of...temporal anomoly."

Her eyes went wide. "The Cycle," she whispered. "You realize that Lia won't be merciful this time." Lucia was clearly upset.

Crim smiled. "I'm looking forward to it." _A little change in the routine is always a good thing, after all._

* * *

The hunters dropped from their Bullheads and landed in the valley, ready to fight. The Grimm in the area all stopped in their tracks and caught site of the enemy; fresh meat, ripe for consumption. Ruby deployed Ember Rose and revved up the heated blade. She smiled, looking left and right at her fellow comrades. They had all landed and armed themselves. The pilots of the Bullheads were the only ones not fighting, and they had at least one extra person per Bullhead to defend against Nevermores.

Ruby's grinned widened. "Fuck 'em up!" she cried angrily, followed by a deafening battle cheer from the other hunters. They charged into battle.

It was like a blur.

Chaos reigned supreme.

_This_ was a true battlefield.

The Grimm had made a return charge, attacking the hunters head on. Screams of anger and anguish blended with growling snarls and yelps of pain. Beowolves lunged and huntsmen slashed. Ursi swiped and huntresses fired. Up above, Nevermores assaulted the Bullheads and the hunters that occupied them fired upon the great beasts. The birds shrieked, both in pain and annoyance.

Ruby had burned and beheaded over a dozen Grimm before she paused to watch one of the Nevermores fall from the sky. "Yeah~!" she cried. Her joy was short lived.

* * *

Weiss and Blake had become separated from Ruby in the hectic battle. Not that it mattered. There were no team based stratagems in this battle; it was just an extermination of Grimm. Weiss heard the gunfire and the Dust discharges from above. Glancing up she saw that the Nevermores in the area were engaging the Bullheads, sensing a threat to their own airspace. Weiss smiled as the Bullheads' hunters fought back aggressively, not sparing any expense as they willed the birds to die. One of them shrieked painfully and reeled back; it was dying.

"Blake!" she cried happily, turning to her team mate. "We're bringing them down!" Blake paused and glanced upward, smiling at the sight for a moment before her grin faded; horror replaced the joy on her face. Weiss looked back up and saw what Blake was staring at. Weiss leapt at Blake. "Blake, move!" she cried.

The next instant, the Nevermore's limp body landed upon the ground, crushing those who were beneath it during its descent.

* * *

Ruby had seen Weiss and Blake. They were under the Nevermore right before it hit and aura didn't protect very well against gravity. _They're dead_, Ruby thought. _They're dead. They're dead. They're dead. They're dead!_ She turned to face the army of Grimm before her; the only thing she could see now was the deaths of her comrades. One had his arm ripped off by a Beowolf. Juane had a huge gash across the left side of his face, gouging out his eye. Nora had a large open wound tearing open the back of her shirt. Velvet was missing part of her right ear.

It was a nightmare. Something had changed.

Ruby's vision went black; the only thing she could see was herself, and a massive cross in front of her; a tombstone. It wasn't there before. Needless to say, it wasn't really there. Her anger and her imagination had taken over completely.

She was alone. Just her and the tombstone. After what felt like an eternity, she finally looked at the cross. On it, she could see every name of every person who had died during this terrible war against the Grimm. Had she miscalculated? Had she still failed? What had she done wrong?

She'd gone mad. That was the real answer. Clouded by bloodlust and anger, she saw her friends become crushed by the Nevermore. She looked away from the cross, and now there was nothing. Remnant was going to die. She was willing to die with it. But...

"Not until I've killed every one of you mother fuckers!" she screamed, her true vision returning. Eyes burning red and rose petals flying in every direction, Ember Rose burned hotter than it ever burned before. She charged the army of Grimm.

_This must be what it was like for Yang_, she thought. With no backup, she plunged head first into battle. As she fought, she recieved wound after wound. It didn't matter. _Everyone is dead!_ she thought repeatedly. _It doesn't matter! I'm all that's left! I'm all that's left!_ Fighting on, she was oblivious to the truth.

She was not all that was left.

* * *

The dust cloud had settled, and the Nevermore's corpse had disintegrated. Beneath where it had landed, Weiss stood over Blake, holding one of her glyphs above her head; she had caught the Nevermore right before it had landed. A wave of cheers erupted before they were drowned out by the growling Grimm.

"You okay?" Weiss gasped as she helped Blake up from the ground.

"I'm fine," she answered. "That was a bit too close, though." She looked around. "We still haven't regrouped with Ruby, have we?"

Weiss shook her head. "I hope she's alright."

"I think you'll find that to be a bit difficult," came the voice of Velvet. Weiss and Blake turned to face the rabbit faunus as she limped over to them. The tip of her right ear had been torn off; she was fighting back the tears of pain and resisting the urge to cover the ear with her hand. "She just went berserk and ran straight into the whole lot of them."

She pointed, and the two members of team RWBY followed her finger. There she was; angry, red eyed, and flower pedals flying in every direction as she hacked, slashed, and burned every Grimm in her path.

"No!" Weiss whispered with wide eyes. They would have to fight their way to her if they were going to help her.

She was, after all, in the very center of the horde. She had nowhere to escape to.

* * *

_Song: Change (In the House of Flies)-Deftones_

**Author's Note**

Here we are; the final battle. Sad to say that there really isn't much to this part of the story. It's very important, and we witness it, but it's a very quick battle. Spoiler alert: when we get to the next chapter, the battle will already be over. It's going to wage on for a few hours before finally ending...and it's that ending that we're going to see.

Prepare yourselves. The end of the story is just around the corner. Chapter 20: Just Like You Imagined will be out soon (maybe Friday), followed shortly by the epilogue.

Also...Crim is in a lot of trouble. Just saying.

Till next time.


	21. Chapter 20: Just Like You Imagined

Chapter 20: Just Like You Imagined

Night was about to take control over Vale as the sun set in the west, but as far as Ruby knew, Darkness had reign supreme throughout the day. The clouds had been white this morning, but as the battle waged on around her they had blacked. It seemed to almost last forever; an endless eternity of fighting a losing battle against the Grimm. She'd been so _confident_ that they'd win this time.

The battlefield lay around her. Black, burned, desolate; it was interesting to even call it a battlefield. To Ruby, there seemed a more suitable word; it was a graveyard. She had lost sight of her comrades hours ago. She was sure that they were all dead. She was the last one left alive at this point. There was no way around that solid fact. She lay against a rock in the middle of the valley, her body a mangled mess of blood and flesh. Her leg was covered in bite marks and gashes, and her left hand was almost completely gone. Her left hand; her _strong_ hand. Even if she survived, she'd be a cripple. She'd be useless. Besides, she was fairly certain that this was the same state she was in during her premonition; she wouldn't live too much longer from this point on.

How did she get here? Why, oh _why_ did this even have to happen? Why did the comet show up? Why did the Grimm grow in strength and numbers. Why did everyone she love have to die. Better yet, _why_ was she allowed to know about it before it ever even happened? Was there a god who deemed it important that she feel this dread before she died? Was she meant to witniss these events beforehand just so she can be fooled into the illusion that she could have a shot at changing anything? It wasn't fair, damn it! It was fair at all!

She looked over at her right bicep; there it was. Just like when she tied it down this morning, Yang's scarf sat upon her arm. Her sister died a horrible death. Was it only fitting that Ruby die similarly? Weiss and Blake died meaningless deaths. _Crushed by a Nevermore...you two deserved better than that._ She coughed up a glob of thick blood; one of her internal injuries was trying clot. It wasn't doing a very good job.

_This is it_, she thought. _This is how I die. Alone, and a failure._

_Ruby_, came a voice that she didn't immediately recognize. _Ruby!_ it cried again, and again, and again. It sounded like...Weiss? Ruby smiled.

_Ruby, where are you?_ she asked, sounding frantic.

"I'm right here, Weiss," she answered, her face turned to the sky.

_Ruby?_ Weiss sounded closer now. _Oh...oh, Ruby. No._ Now she sounded sad.

"It's okay, isn't it Weiss?" Ruby asked. "You were right. There is a place for us to go."

Weiss came into her field of view. A sad smile crept upon her lips. _You're right, Ruby_, she answered. _There is a home for us to return to. We'll get to see Yang, and your mother._

"And Blake?"

Weiss nodded. _Even Blake. She's right here._

Blake came into view, tears streaming down her eyes. _Hey, Ruby,_ she said.

Ruby smiled. "I'm so glad. I get to see you again." She frowned for a moment. "Where's Yang? Where's Penny?" She coughed up another mouthful of blood; it was bright red.

Weiss and Blake shared a glance.

_Right here, sis,_ came the voice of Yang. Yang, Penny, and Roman all stood next to Weiss and Blake, smiling pleasantly at Ruby.

"Oh," Ruby said, regaining Weiss and Blake's attention. "You're all here."

_Of course, Red. You didn't think we'd just leave you lying here, did you?_ Roman teased.

_You're my friend, Ruby_, Penny stated happily. _I would never leave you behind_.

Yang flashed her little sister a smile. _Come on, Ruby. Your mother is waiting._

Ruby cried for the first time in a long while. "Mother?" she asked.

Roman smiled. _That's right, kiddo. Your mom's a nice lady. She'll be happy to see you again._ He held his hand out to help Ruby up.

Her left arm raised up, reaching for Roman's hand. Her left hand didn't look destroyed anymore. "I'll be right there," she answered. "I'm sorry that I failed to save everyone. But, we can be together again."

Weiss and Blake watched her sadly as she grabbed Roman's hand. He raised her up and held her delicately before they all began to walk away to...somewhere. Ruby didn't notice at first that Weiss and Blake weren't following. She was just so happy in that moment that nothing else mattered.

* * *

Weiss and Blake talked to Ruby for a moment or two. "I'll be right there," she had said when she raised her left hand, which was mangled, bloody, and shredded to bits. She seemed to be reaching for something, but it wasn't Weiss or Blake. The next moment, her hand fell limp to the ground; she was dead. Weiss and Blake couldn't hold the tears back.

Blake leaned over and pulled Ruby's hood over her face, and Weiss knelt and prayed silently. "She thought we were killed by the Nevermore," Blake said at last. "She went into a rage that blinded her, and she fought to avenge us."

Weiss sniffed, trying to keep from crying more. "I don't know what to say. I don't know if she's a dunce for thinking we died without actually knowing for sure, or if she's the bravest, most caring person I ever knew."

Blake offered Weiss her embrace, and the heiress accepted. The two surviving members of team RWBY sat there in silence, mourning the death of their team leader.

After a moment, a voice came from behind. "Weiss. Blake. It's time we assembled the dead." They turned to see Glynda; her arm was in a sling with a splint, and her cape had been torn off. Various scratches adorned her face, and her glasses were missing. "We need to give them proper burial."

Weiss nodded. She flagged over a couple of hunters who had a stretcher and told them to take Ruby's body. They did so quickly and efficiently, so as to spare Weiss from having to look at her leader's...her _friend's_ dead body. She looked up and saw Bullheads flying excitedly overhead. All around her was a barren wasteland that was once a battlefield, but not a single Grimm remained.

They had won.

"Rebuilding won't be easy," Blake said. "Not without Ruby."

Weiss nodded. "It'll be fine, though. She's with her sister now.

Fires were lit all over the field, daring any remaining nearby Grimm to attack. The darkness was gone, and a beacon of light was shining through. At long last, this terrible nightmare was over. Remnant would survive.

They had won, and nothing could take this victory from them. The world was once again their own.

* * *

Ruby awoke with a fright. Her skin was cold with sweat, and she felt as though she were about to scream. What had she just witnessed? A nightmare?

"Ruby?" came a voice to her left. Following its source, she found her sister; Yang Xiao Long. "Ruby, are you okay? You don't look so good?"

Her sister was in her night clothes, and she looked tired; she had just been woken up by her sister thrashing about on the bed.

"S-sis? Yang? Is that you?" she asked, unsure if she should trust her eyes.

"Yeah. Who else would I be?" the blonde brawler asked.

Without answering, Ruby burst into tears as she leapt from her bed and started hugging her older sister. "Oh, Yang! Yang, I thought you were gone!"

"What's going on?" Weiss asked from her bunk; she beginning to stir. Blake had been reading on her bed; she had just marked her place and stood up to see what the fuss was about as well.

"You...you girls are all okay?" Ruby asked.

"Of course," Weiss said, almost sarcastically. "We were just in bed."

"Oh...I...I just had the worst nightmare I've ever had!" Ruby exclaimed.

Blake placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder. "You wanna talk about it?"

Ruby looked at her friends for a few moments, fighting back tears. After a short time, she finally nodded.

**END**

* * *

_Song: Just Like You Imagined-Nine Inch Nails_

**Author's Note**

We're finally here; the end. We have the epilogue, which you'll see tomorrow. It'll tie up all the final loose ends. Other than that, consider this story finished. There will also be a final author's note after the epilogue.

Please, leave a review telling me how you felt about the story. I worked really, _really _hard on it these past six months. I just hope that I did a good enough job writing it. I must admit, this sucker got tough to write a few times...but I'll leave that for the final AN.

Tomorrow: _Epilogue: Ghost_! and a longer Author's Note to follow it. Look forward to it!

Till next time!


	22. Epilogue: Ghost

**NOTE: The continuity of this story at the beginning is one year after the Final Battle, and then the next section is immediately after the Final Battle. I know it's weird, but bear with me.**

* * *

Epilogue: Ghost

One year; just one short year had passed since that terrible battle. Historians are calling the war, if it could be called such, the Longest Night. A fitting name, considering it was almost a full year of darkness that threatened to destroy the world. It was amazing to Weiss just how many people actually survived. Ruby's prediction stated that they would lose the war, and they almost did. However, thanks to Ruby's premonition, they were able to make changes in the timeline that turned the odds slightly in humanity's favor.

The day Ruby died, her last words implied that she was convinced that they would lose. It saddened Weiss to know that Ruby didn't live to see the remaining huntsmen and huntresses regroup and clear the field, claiming an ultimate victory. It was the first of many victories to come. Battle after battle, fewer people died as they pushed back against the Grimm. Within a matter of weeks, the Grimm threat was back to its normal standing, if not less so, and it was all because of Ruby's minor changes.

Cardin dying in place of Velvet was one such change. Velvet, who actively resented Cardin for bullying her, was astonished that he had given his life for hers. She gained a newfound resolve to survive, and found a vigor on the battlefield as she pushed forward for the sake of mankind. Weiss herself remembered that she was supposed to die during the dust salvage operation, and was even ready to give her life. The ringing in her ears from the mine's explosion almost made her slightly deaf, but she felt it was a small cost to pay for what they gained in return. Blake even survived, because Weiss was present to save her from that fated Nevermore that plummeted to the ground.

In spite of all of the lives that were saved, not all could be spared. Ozpin, Melanie Machite, Yang, and even Ruby were still felled in the line of duty, but their deaths inspired greater service from those who lived on. Their deaths were horrible, painful, and no one deserved their fate, but they were inevitable and necessary for the ultimate survival of the world.

When the fighting was over, reconstruction had begun. In one short year most of the damage had been repaired. Vale was rebuilt, Beacon was repaired, and many organizations restarted their operations. The physical damage was fixed, and the survivors began to make something of the lives that they still had.

Velvet continued to carry Cardin's weapon after the final battle. She didn't have any training with it, but she had a mission to complete with it. She sought out and found Cardin's surviving family, to whom she returned the weapon to. She told his family not of his exploits of bullying and tormenting her, but rather of his heroic deeds on the battlefield, and how he gave his life to save hers. From there, she began to study medicine. She was still convinced that if she had known how, she could have saved Cardin. So she begun working towards becoming a doctor so that she would have that knowledge.

On Beacon's campus, in the newly built courtyard, a memorial to all of the fallen students and teachers was erected, topped off by a statue of Professor Ozpin. Weiss and Blake liked the concept, but felt that it was unfair for just Ozpin to have a statue. So, they held official funerals for Ruby and Yang, and made the sisters' graves next to their mother's. Weiss used her expertise over dust to construct a magnificent statue that depicted Ruby and Yang standing regal and heroic, perpetually defending the weak and helpless against the darkness.

Blake continued to be a huntress as she was hired by people to kill Grimm. Occasionally she would return to Vale long enough to visit Weiss, but the two girls didn't see much of each other. Sun traveled with her for a while, but he eventually wanted to settle down from the life of a hunter. He stopped chasing after Grimm and he became a bouncer at Junior's nightclub alongside his now wife, Militia. He didn't do it to exert his power, nor did he do it for the money; he did it because he wanted to see the happy faces of people who were forgetting their troubles in the moment as they danced to the music, and he wanted to stay by Militia's side.

Glynda naturally took over as Beacon's official head mistress. Without ever realizing it, she picked up Ozpin's coffee drinking habit, and even used his old mugs for the beverage. She reinstated the educational system of Beacon, and re-opened the application process, hoping to train future generations to protect themselves from a potential return of the Harbinger comet.

And then there was Weiss. She returned to her home to find that her family had survived the dark war. Her father was furious with her and feared that his only heir had perished in the war. "You should have left them," he had said. "Your place is here, protecting your family and the family business!" Weiss told him very quickly just what she thought of the family business, and she was soon disowned. That tends to happen when one tells their father to shove a company up his own ass. It didn't worry her, though. She knew her father would eventually come around. Not that it really mattered.

It didn't matter, because she found herself once more waking up in the morning on Beacon's campus. She looked at her clock and saw that she was going to be late. She didn't care; now that she had her life, she ran on her own time and nobody else's. She got dressed and began making her way to her first class of the day. In fact, this wasn't just her first class of the day, it was her first class of the year. The thought of being back at Beacon put a smile on her face. Halfway through the new courtyard the bell tolled, signaling the start of class. Weiss merely shrugged and continued at her own pace before she made it to the class room.

Most of the seats were full of students, casually chatting amongst themselves. All of them were new students, freshly initiated and prepared to study to become huntsmen and huntresses. Seeing their bright, excited faces made Weiss smile. She made her way to her place in the room, and everyone became quiet upon seeing her.

"Good morning, class," she said, gaining everyone's attention. "I'm Professor Weiss Schnee, and welcome to the first semester of Dust Applications." Bowing ever so slightly in greeting, she added, "I hope that you will enjoy my class."

The students simply stared in awe. While The Longest Night was still barely a year ago, most of them were students at the time and didn't even have the ability to fight the Grimm off. Many of them lost loved ones, and they had all been evacuated to the strongholds that protected the bulk of the surviving citizens of Vale. Now they were studying at Beacon to protect those they loved, and they're first teacher was Weiss. _The_ Weiss Schnee was looked upon as a legend to them. "Well," she said, breaking them from their self induced trance. "Please turn to page five of your textbooks so we may begin." Grabbing a piece of chalk, she began to write out the first part of the lesson on the blackboard.

A student stood up. "Um, Professor Schnee?" she asked. Weiss paused and turned to see who had spoken up. The girl was, as expected, barely younger than Weiss, though it didn't help that Weiss was arguably one of the youngest huntresses to teach at Beacon. The girl's hair was blonde; the same shade of blonde that adorned Yang's locks, though this girl's hair was considerably shorter. Her eyes were a piercing blue, and her face held an essence of genuine curiosity.

"Yes?" Weiss inquired.

The girl was clearly nervous. "I...I'm sorry for asking, but I just wanted to know: you were there a year ago. What was Ruby Rose like in person?"

Weiss felt her stomach fall into a pit upon hearing her leader's name, but at the same time she felt wonderful memories bubble to the surface. "She was young," she started. "She was a compulsive idiot who was addicted to sugar. She rarely took advice from me as a student, and her sister didn't ever try to discipline her to show restraint." Every student in the room looked shocked to hear this. To them, Ruby was a heroine. She was the foundation that the world rested upon in their eyes.

"But," Weiss continued. "She was an amazing fighter. She was a quick thinker during the most demanding of situations, and she was a beacon of hope for all of us. When Yang died, Ruby left behind those childish things that defined her for who she was, and she became the person you all look up to. She saved the lives of countless hunters, and mourned everyone who fell. She took a former enemy and turned him into one of her closest friends, and she never thought twice about risking her life to save others. She died on that fateful day so that Remnant could live." Weiss held back her tears and she gazed into the eyes of everyone of her students before pausing on the girl who asked the question. "What is your name?"

"Lynn Fay," she said.

Weiss nodded. "I knew your sister, Luna," she stated. "She is just as much of a hero as Ruby is. Never forget those who gave their lives during The Longest Night. Without them, you would not be sitting here to study in my class." Flawlessly transitioning from subject to subject, Weiss resumed her introduction to the first lesson of the class. Lynn sat down and began taking notes.

And thus is the life of those who survived The Longest Night. A hellish nightmare though it was, the world may become better for it. Astronomers studied the comet after it had passed by and deduced that it had a slim chance of ever returning. But if it ever did, the world would know what to expect, and they would be prepared.

Weiss would personally see to the preparations herself.

_**False End #115,452**_

* * *

The universe was massive. So massive, that many astronomers believed it to be infinite. If that were true, then did that mean that the possibilities were equally endless? And, if so, wouldn't all possible timelines and time frames be happening in the same moment, but in such a way that most people would be unable to observe them all?

In a portion of space, on a distant world in the universe, a council was being held by a great many immortal races. Thousands of individuals, all of them humanoid or bestial in origin, sat in a long hall; the Council Chamber that resided within the mighty Thoughtspire. At the far end of the chamber sat five tall thrones; each man and woman who sat there held more power than all the rest of the council members. Lia Merca sat in the middle, her eyes portraying her displeasure. Garbed in a flowing white gown, she glared at the floor in front of her with her bright, glowing, green eyes.

Shackled before her, chains holding him to the stone floor, was the infamous Crim Yewin, who tried last year to destroy all traces of magic in the known universe for the sake of enslaving all sentient life under his will. Though he was the council's prisoner, he didn't seem upset. In fact, he seemed pleased with himself. He smiled. "Am I on trial once more, _child_?" he asked, directing the insult at Lia.

Ignoring the slight on her young age in the immortal world, she continued to glare at him. "Crim. It has come to our attention in the last few days that you have cast an illegal spell on an unprotected world. The world of _Remnant_ is under the influence of the Cycle Incantation that you developed ten thousand years ago so that you would observe the universe indefinitely in the event of your death. We know that this spell is what gave you your upper hand over us during the war last year, but we also know that you destroyed the original Cycle. Why cast one now, of all times?"

Crim's smile widened as he chuckled to himself. Fortuitus, the werewolf king sitting to Lia's immediate left, stood angrily. "Answer the question, you bastard! Or else, we may rule against your sentence to an eternity in chains to something a little more appropriate!" He licked his lips, the temptation to transform apparent on his face. "I'd like nothing more than to let my fangs embrace you."

"Peace, Wolf King," Lia sighed. "Should the need come to kill him, I'd rather someone who _deserves_ to kill him do so." _Like Cyril, or Ms. Gordon,_ she mentally whispered. She returned her gaze to Crim.

Crim's body shook as he tried to contain his laughter. His red hair was messy and unkempt, and his clothes were tattered. He looked every bit insane as he truly was. "Do you know what there is to do for an immortal Shifter who's been given life in prison?" he finally breathed. "I just decided to pass the time a little bit and watch what happens on that pathetic planet."

Lia sighed. Arletha, the elf to her immediate right, spoke up. "Lady Lia, the world of Remnant never created a Shifter from the native populace to defend the world. The Devastation created a monstrous race of beasts that the locals call Creatures of Grimm, yet the world didn't see fit to create a guardian from among its own people. With no Shifter destined to protect it, it is illegal for outside Shifters to interfere with the world's affairs. Crim has violated that law."

Lia nodded. "Is the Cycle Incantation targeting any particular individual, or is the spell global?"

Valentine, the wingless angel to Lia's far right, looked over a paper scroll in his hand. "It would appear that only one of the native inhabitants has been enchanted. A young girl by the name of Ruby Rose."

Lia sighed once more. "Why are young girls the only ones burdened with such troubles. First me with my foresight, then Ms. Gordon with her Eye, and now this Ruby Rose. Has she experienced the effects of the Cycle yet?"

Valentine nodded. "It would appear she's relived the same six to twelve month span roughly one hundred fifteen thousand times. Not entirely accurate, but it's in the ballpark, as it were." He glanced over the scroll again. "A comet, most likely a fragment of the original Devastation ten thousand years ago, is causing a resurgence of the Creatures of Grimm during each iteration. It seems that she has yet to die a peaceful death."

Lia turned to Crim. "Is that your doing as well?"

Crim, still smiling, shook his head. "You already killed the man responsible for that. I didn't cause the Devastation. I only wanted to wipe out magic, not the universe itself."

Lia smiled. "Very well; you want to destroy magic, then so be it. I hereby command the most skilled mages of this council to recreate Crim's magic destroying spell; take away his ability to cast magic. Valentine, can you remove the Cycle from this Ruby Rose?" The angel nodded, reading over the scroll again.

Crim's smile faded as various members of the council began to drag him out of the room. Lia was very pleased to see that many of the universe's most prominent mages were involved. Crim screamed for mercy, the desire to keep his own magic strong. It would be futile for him to oppose his captors.

Lia turned to Valentine. "What is Remnant's fate?" she asked.

The fallen angel smiled. "Shouldn't you, Lia of the Wolf's Eye, already know?"

Embarrassed, she turned away. "My foresight has been diminished ever since Crim cast the Cycle on me during the war. I can no longer tell the future with pinpoint accuracy."

Valentine nodded. "It seems that these Creatures destroy most of the world during the year before their numbers return to normal, and the handful of survivors rebuild."

Arletha saw that Lia was concerned, and she reflected that uncertainty. "Should we wait? Like what Crim did? Wait until a timeline presents itself that will be the most ideal for the majority of the world to survive?"

Still smiling, Valentine shook his head. "There is no need. Ms. Rose has just awakened from her most recent loop. I can see the space around the planet for this timeline; the comet will not reach Remnant this time."

Lia was shocked. "How? Celestial bodies don't usually alter course."

"It would appear that a certain master of destructive magic has a soft spot for worlds that may be wiped out by monstrous beings. Nik Stoll has altered the course of the comet, and it will fly into a gas giant in Remnant's solar system. Now is the best time to break the spell."

A loud, audible pop echoed throughout the council chamber, but it didn't surprise anyone. A pillar of multicolored flame erupted and quickly died away, revealing a thin, robed young man. This was known as a Shift: the skill that allows Shifters to move about the universe freely. His yellow eyes scanned the room from behind his shaggy brown hair. He found Lia and he knelt. "I'm sorry for leaving in the middle of the meeting, Lady Lia. But I felt that this was something that needed done."

Lia sighed inwardly. "Think nothing of it." He may have technically broken the law of No-Interference, but as the leader of this Shifter's Council, Lia felt that she could turn a blind eye to it. Just this once. Turning back to Valentine, she smiled. "Whenever you're ready."

Nodding, the angel closed his eyes. A shimmer enveloped his body and quickly dissipated. "It is done. The Cycle is broken. Ruby Rose, and those close to her, will not die in the next year, nor will they relive the events ever again.

"However," he continued. "It is entirely possible that the other timelines still exist, creating alternate universes. Out of the hundreds of thousands of terrible outcomes, there is only one that is proper."

This seemed to be a sigh filled day for Lia. "That one is all that truly matters to us, I'm afraid. I can only hope that those in the other timelines will be strong and outlast their trials."

* * *

Billions of light years away, ignorant of the immortal beings' council, Ruby skipped a day of class to try to piece together how she felt about the nightmare from the night before. Unbeknownst to her, her nightmare _should_ have proven true. She would have fought and lived through hell for about a year before dying, but _something_ that she didn't even know existed saved her world. She would go on to seek out Roman and confront him, just as she did in the previous timeline, and thank him for stealing Dust. Ozpin would give her his advice on moving on from such a nightmare, and she would continue on with her life. Just as she planned she would when she first entered Beacon.

Cinder would attack _someday_, and people would get hurt. But for now, she could enjoy living, and be none the wiser to the calamity that Remnant narrowly dodged. The nightmare would continue to haunt her, of course, but it wasn't a prelude to destruction anymore. Now, it was like a ghost that would follow her, but not really affect anything. She would be reminded of its presence from time to time, but her life would remain happy now for the most part.

Yet elsewhere, in another time, very few of her friends were left alive, and they all mourned her loss. Her Remnant was whole and complete, but there were others floating out there in a sea of infinity, crumbling and falling apart.

She just didn't know it.

_**TRUE END**_

* * *

_Song: Ghost - Gackt_

Side Note

_Crim Yewin, Fortuitus, Lia Merca, Lucia Bavol, Valentine, Nik Stoll, Cyril Darken, Ms. (Rose) Gordon, Arletha Aksi, the Devastation (historical/universal),the Cycle (magical), Desnova (world of the council), the Thoughtspire, Shifting/Shifters, the Cauldron (implied existence) and innate magical abilities (not of Dust) are unrelated to RWBY. These are all elements, in lesser forms, from my original fantasy series: __**The Shifted Universe**__._

_**The Shifted Universe**__ is an ongoing fantasy of epic proportions that explains many of the darker, more terrible "natural disasters" of the universe as part of an ancient universal catastrophe known as the Devastation. I was able to take my concept of the Devastation and link it through this fanfiction to the first appearance of the Creatures of Grimm, and by implying that the comet is actually a fragment of the Devastation's source._

_Unfortunately, __**The Shifted Universe**__ is not available to read anywhere right now, but I hope to someday publish the first book, __**Devastation**__. Fingers crossed!_

**NEXT: FINAL AUTHOR'S NOTE**


	23. Right Where It Belongs: Author's Note

Right Where It Belongs

The Final **Author's Note** on _The Longest Night_

I felt a longer, more in depth **AN** was in order. Let's see...how long have I been writing this? April 9, 2014? Good lord, I was _really_ dedicated to this. Which is weird, considering its not part of my original work. Even with that ending that ties it into my own personal universe, it's not legally allowed to be canon with my real work...unless Monty wants to, you know, allow that. That'd be cool. I'd love to add Remnant to my growing list of worlds.

Yes, that means in my real story, Crim doesn't have his power stripped from him, and he's just chilling in his prison cell. On the bright side, since Remnant doesn't exist in that universe, he can't torture Ruby for sport. So, we got that going for us.

Anyway, back to the RWBY element of this story; the part that matters. You have no idea how challenging this story was. That may actually be why I was so committed to it...to prove that I wasn't afraid to make tough decisions for the sake of story. I wanted _so bad_ to let Yang survive in the Emerald Forest. I wanted Ren and Nora to live happily ever after, and I wanted Cardin and Velvet to possibly become friends. I wanted Roman to continue teasing Ruby, and Penny should have saved more lives instead of taking them. I wanted to have everything go _so right_ for everyone to the point where I knew I had to sink into a dark place that I've never gone before.

Because, when it comes right down to it, the good guys don't _always_ come out clean. Over the course of six months (both in real life, and in the story) our heroes were faced with uncertain circumstances. They went into the situation feeling ambitious, with the desire to rewrite history. Six months have passed...and our heroes have been beaten, broken, mangled, and torn apart. Some of our survivors will be forever altered. Some have physical disabilities, and others will develop mental problems in the aftermath of the great war that is _The Longest Night_.

Cardin didn't stand a chance. He was arrogant and bullheaded in the face of potentially breaking his promise. Yang knew what needed to be done, and she knew the price that must be paid to save her only family that she knew she had left. Penny felt that her only chance at redemption was to sacrifice herself for her friends. Ren died protecting the girl he would have happily spent the rest of his life with. Luna witnessed the death of her partner and lover, Aric (now changed to Artemis for a future story), and in her rage she lost her life, attempting to take revenge. Ozpin may have been felled by a great beast, but his beliefs outlived him. They still outlive him. And then...

Ruby Rose.

Ruby died believing that all of her friends had died. She thought that she had failed. She _knew_ that she had lost everything. She died, believing that Remnant was still doomed. She never learned that the survivors won the war. She never learned that many of her friends survived the battle.

Because as far as she knows, none of it really happened. While everyone else that died during _The Longest Night_ went on to the afterlife, Ruby's spirit went back to that start of it all; the Cycle forced her into one more iteration of Remnant. This will be the last iteration that she will ever experience. Things will be happier in this new Remnant, but in the other timelines she doesn't exist at all anymore. Her friends and family of the older timelines will never see her spirit in the realm of the dead; for while the possibilities of the universe are endless, there is but one heart at the center of that universe. There is but one Cauldron with which the souls of those who have died will reside.

And if _you_ think that it's one hell of an emotional roller coaster, then you should be in my position. I've had this story in my head for six months, bubbling to the surface, erupting into the air bit by bit. It _wanted_ to be known. And the whole while, I experienced the events of the story myself. That is how an author truly creates a story. The way I see it, he doesn't really create the story, so much as join in the plot. Much like a roller coaster, once it starts it doesn't stop until you reach the end. I've had to slow that roller coaster a few times. Sometimes I've had to rethink some ideas, and other times I've had to come up with brand new ones.

More commonly, I've had to stop for emotional reasons. Yang's death? I couldn't type another word for several hours after I wrote it. I almost cried. An _I'm_ the one writing it! Roman's death? That hit me as well. Damn, was I _committed_ to this story.

And now it's over. No more will I write about the events of Remnant during, or after the war known as _The Longest Night_. That dark, sad world still exists, but it is not my place to tell its tales anymore. In that regard, I _am_ treating it like one of my real stories. It's no longer up to me.

It's up to the reader.

What happens now in that post apocalyptic Remnant? Where does the reconstruction lead them? Does the comet have a return vector? I don't know. That is up to you, my dear readers. Let your own imaginations come up with the possibilities. After all...

As Crim has proved time and time again, the Cycle has endless possibilities.

And the other Remnant? The one where Nik Stoll destroyed Harbinger before it reached Remnant? Well...

Pick any of my other RWBY fictions. Any one of them could be that alternate universe. As I said. The possibilities are endless.

As for me; I think it's time I returned to the happier of settings. I think my shipfics will make a return. Or maybe I'll start a new comedy series.

In terms of writing, I have many homes. But right now I'm living on Remnant. And as a wanderer of fantastical worlds, I can tell you that Remnant still has many more tales left to tell before I move on to the next.

As I am wont to say: Till next time. :D


	24. TLN: Stranger Than Fiction (Bonus)

TLN: Stranger Than Fiction

It had been six or seven months since Ruby had woken up in the night from the nightmare. The awful images she saw kept her awake for the remainder of that night, and the next day she had skipped class. In an attempt to understand it she came to several realizations. In the nightmare, Roman wasn't her enemy, but rather her friend. All of her other friends had died protecting her, and Roman was no exception. He gave his life at Machtstaub Mine to ensure that no one would ever be hurt by those monsters that lived there. She realized, thanks to the nightmare, that without Roman she would never have been admitted to Beacon. Without him, she would never have made all of her friends and become the leader of team RWBY.

So Ruby had sought him out to thank him in person. They held a friendly conversation, if not a strained one, and parted as enemies once more. It was to be expected, really. Roman was destined to be her enemy, and Ruby was destined to stop him. Nothing on Remnant could ever make them become friends. However, the concept did appeal to both of them. Every so often, they would meet in secret and just talk. They never had anything really worth talking about, sadly, but it was still good for both of them. They had become fragile friends, and the lightest touch from anything would bring that relationship crashing down around them.

That touch came in the form of Cinder Fall.

As Ruby expected, the nightmare didn't come true. No black comet, no Grimm, no widespread panic and death. Cinder, however, did attack Beacon. That was her plan all along. Today was the day that she would bring the wall of Beacon down, and destroy those she deemed her enemies. Roman, under her employment, was sent to the front line of this assault. It was fate, of course, that brought Roman and Ruby together on the field of battle.

That's where they found themselves now. A blast of dust had crashed the wall before Roman, and he stepped into an atrium of sorts. He looked around with a slight smirk on his face, but it disappeared when he looked ahead and saw team RWBY waiting for him. White Fang members poured in behind him and aimed their guns at the four girls, but Roman held his hand up. "Hold your fire," he ordered.

"How nice of you, Roman. It's not like their guns would really hurt us. Who the hell do you think we are?" Yang, Roman assumed, asked cockily. She was everything Ruby had described her as; beautiful and hot headed.

"I didn't stop them as a mercy. I did it as a courtesy. It would be rude of me to attack before I've said a few things, now wouldn't it?"

Yang spat. "You can keep your fucking courtesy!"

"It wasn't meant for you, Blondie." Roman motioned to Ruby with his cane. "It's for your sister."

Ruby stepped forward. "Hello, Roman," she said at long last. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Yeah. Nice to see you too, Red." he said sadly. "I really didn't want it to come to this, you know. After everything we've been through as enemies, and all of our conversations as friends, I was hoping that the last time we parted peacefully would be the last time we saw each other."

"We knew it would come to this," Ruby stated. "I suppose we had some fun while it lasted, though."

Roman smiled. "Yeah." He reached into his pocket and pulled out two cigars. "I know you don't like them," he said. "But would you smoke one last one with me?"

Yang stepped between her sister and Roman. "My sister doesn't smoke, asshole. And why are you talking like you two are friends?"

Ruby pushed her sister out of the way gently. "Let me have this moment, Yang," she said calmly, but Yang could hear a hint of sadness. "I don't see the harm in smoking one more. One way or another, this _will_ be the last time the two of us will ever see each other." She approached Roman and retrieved the cigar.

"Sis," Yang said quietly. "What are you doing?"

Roman pulled out his liter and ignited both cigars. The pair of them inhaled deeply and exhaled simultaneously. "So, I guess this is goodbye, Red."

Ruby stepped back and rejoined her team, puffing lightly on the tobacco. She nodded in agreement. "My name isn't Red, Roman," she stated calmly.

Roman smiled once more. "You're right, of course. I'm sorry...Ruby."

Both of them dropped their cigars, and the fight commenced before they ever impacted the floor. The battle for Beacon was a victory for the Huntsmen and Huntresses who studied and lived there, but in the atrium a different battle was taking place. Regardless of who survived at the end of it, there would be no winner. There, in the midst of war, lay two lonely cigars on the floor. Barely lit, their cherry hot tips slowly faded, leaving only ash.

_Song: Stranger Than Fiction-Five Finger Death Punch_

**Author's Note**

I know I said I wouldn't write anymore for TLN, but this was an idea I actually wrote months ago after I figured out how I wanted the story to end. In the timeline of the True End, where the Grimm don't show up thanks to Nik, Cinder finally attacks the students of Beacon. Ruby and Roman meet each other on the battlefield, having slowly built up a weak friendship over the months. They meet in battle, and...

Who knows?

I do have a question for you, the readers, though. I know I said I didn't want to write anymore to this story...but god damn it I know how to write a sort of sequel. Here's the problem: it will involve more of my original story, and it runs the risk of being confusing. So, I won't write it...unless you guys want me to. Leave a review or a PM if you'd like to see what path the True End will take, or leave a review or PM if you'd like me to leave well enough alone. At this point, I can do either. If I write the sequel, some omnipotent characters will be at the center stage. Just a warning. It's up to you guys!

Also, do _not_ quote me on this...buy for those of you who've read _Ruby, the Closet Otaku_...I may be writing a sequel to that one. I don't need your permission for that one, though. :D If you happen to ever see the title _Weiss, the Tsundere Otaku (And Other Tales) _on my page, then you know what's up. Just saying. Also trying to write a sequel to _How to Seduce a Faunus_, which will most likely be _How to Seduce and Heiress_. I don't know about that one.

Anywho.

Till next time! :D


	25. Sequel Notice

Well, you guys seem to want it, so here you go. On my page you will find a story titled "Eternity Rising". This is the sequel to The Longest Night. It, admittedly, starts off very odd and confusing, but the chapters to follow will make more sense...hopefully.

I hope you enjoy it. :D


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